


The Trade Off

by Lotornomiko



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dubious Consent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-04-03 19:42:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 101,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4112677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotornomiko/pseuds/Lotornomiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Left with little choice, Belle makes a split second decision that costs her everything, as she learns Hook can drive a very hard bargain. Is it even possible for love to form from a relationship that stems from so twisted a beginning? Dubious consent at the start.</p><p>CHAPTER ONE HAS BEEN UPDATED AND OVERHAULED AS OF 12/27/16. Chapters 2-21 are currently in the midst of minor edits and tweaks. But chapter one needed a little more than that, to hopefully make it flow more smoothly and satisfactory. Hoping to work on chapter 22 once the other chapters have gone through their (minor) edits.</p><p>EXTRA DARK HOOK TRIGGER WARNING FOR CHAPTER 26!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or it's characters. I do not make any money off of this story. This is done purely for entertainment purposes.
> 
> \----Michelle

There was an intruder aboard his ship. A bold little sneak trespassing where she didn't belong. Hook didn't quite smile, his eyes glittering with a keen and malicious intent. Thoughts about that woman's unexpected trespass, lent to the realization that this was the perfect opportunity, yet another chance to ruin something precious to Rumplestiltskin. 

The scarf in his hands, Hook walked up the solid plank steps that led onto his ship. Taking care to match his footprints with hers, those imprints made by the fish feed that the woman had scattered earlier, showed the difference in their size. They not only marked the way onto the ship, but also gave away the fact that the one who had come before him, had most definitely not been Rumplestiltskin. Not with feet that small, that delicate, her weight slight enough that the prints weren't as deep as a man's would be. 

Halfway up the steps, the prints began to fade as the ship came into view. That familiar and comforting sight, was lost to an outside observer. To them it was not the Jolly Roger that they would now see, but the sight of what appeared to be a man disappearing into mid air. They would know it for magic, but not for what kind, that cloak of invisibility, an illusion that was known only to Hook and it's caster, the witch queen known as Cora. A magic boon granted to him and to him alone, Hook couldn't help but wonder how anyone could have discovered the ship's secret. It was an ingenuity worth marveling over, the woman who had stole aboard, crafty and resourceful. Smart even. 

He marveled about more than that, thinking that the woman, Belle was beautiful in addition to smart. But the two weren't in true balance, Hook also thinking her foolish. Foolish for getting involved with Rumplestiltskin, and foolish for coming aboard Hook's ship all alone. Especially after he had chased her in the library, scaring Belle with his threats. She had clearly been frightened, and yet Belle apparently didn't let the fear stop her from coming here. Brave as well as bold, which were more traits to be admired, Hook began to descend down into the ship's bowels. 

He took care to keep his boots from making any real sound, Hook sneaking about as silent as he could manage. The ship groaning as it's weight rocked in the water, helped provide him cover, the man finding the crew barracks, and the door that led into it, open. And inside the very first room was the beauty, Belle, her back to him as she bent and rustled about his belongings until she finally found a small chest. She was just as quick to locate the key which would unlock and open it, Belle hurrying to do that next. Her reaction was immediate, the palpable disappointment radiating off her as Belle then discovered the chest contained nothing but coins of every make and denomination. Her shoulders seem to sag with her sigh, then stiffened at the sound of his voice. 

"Looking for this?" He asked, the scarf draped over his hook, his fingers playing with the yellow knit wool of it. His pose was relaxed, Hook leaning nonchalant in the doorway. He was effectively blocking the only way out, and it was all he could do to keep from laughing in triumph. 

Belle didn't quite gasp, though she did spin around. Fast enough that her hair had lifted with her movements, before settling wildly about her shoulders. Her eyes were wide, Belle looking worried. It was also blatantly apparent how dismayed she was to see him, her eyes staring at him rather than noticing the scarf. 

And then his words must have registered, Belle's eyes lowering briefly to what he actually held. "Uh...that doesn't belong to you." She kept returning her gaze to his face, watching him and not that with which she was after. Wise of her, considering Hook was far more dangerous than the scarf that he continued to hold. 

"Oh, it does now." His voice a husky whisper, Hook smirked at Belle. Her face was easy to read, the woman stunned by his answer. As though Belle had honestly believed he'd hand over the scarf just because she had asked. It was amusing to think of someone being that naive, especially a woman who had spent so much time around Rumplestiltskin. 

Less amusing was the way her eyes darted to the side of him, her intent plain as the day was bright. He didn't know what was there, but Hook moved at the same time she did, almost laughing, his tsking sounds mocking as his hand snatched hold of the weapon seconds before Belle could. 

He gave it a brief glance, surprised to see she had brought a gun with her. Perhaps not so foolish after all, Hook thought, sliding his finger onto the trigger. She was still stupid for having set it down, such an act betraying that she didn't really have the intent to use it on someone. At best, Belle probably would have tried to bluff her way past him, but Hook was sure if push came to shove, she wouldn't have been able to shoot him. 

He had no compunctions about shooting someone, though Hook realized he didn't really want to hurt Belle. It was far too obvious she was an innocent, her only sin that of associating with the likes of Rumplestiltskin. It didn't mean he couldn't scare her though, Hook's actions slow and exaggerated as he admired the gun, then pointed it at her. 

"My dear Belle..." His voice was far too low, too seductive considering what he now aimed at her. "You should have stayed with your books." 

She was clearly frightened, eyes darting from his face to the gun, then back to Hook again. "Real life can get so messy..." He continued, watching her nervous swallow. 

"I'm not afraid of you." She announced in a clear, strong voice. It surprised him, Hook studying her as she gestured at the scarf. "And I'm not leaving without that." 

"Oh, I admire your loyalty." He said, and it was the truth. "But as to Rumplestiltskin, you're fighting a lost cause." He set the scarf down on the very table that the gun had been resting on. 

"He needs that shawl..." She began, desperation in her voice. "To find his son!" 

He had twirled the gun in his hand, allowing it to point away from her now. "What makes you think his son wants to be found?" Hook demanded, holding her gaze with his own. Belle had not relaxed one bit, as tense now as she had been when the gun had been trained on her. 

"Hmm?" He prodded when there was no answer forthcoming from her. "I'm doing that boy a favor." 

Belle's lips moistened by the nervous flick of her tongue. He couldn't help it, his gaze being drawn to her mouth by that very action. "Have you not hurt Rumple enough?" 

Her question came of a complete surprise, a surge of anger filling him. Making him want to growl at the absurdity, the irony of anyone talking as if Hook was the villain in all this, and Rumplestiltskin the victim. 

"Ha. I've hurt him?" He didn't have to feign his disbelief, holding up his hook, as a reminder to her that it was Rumplestiltskin's fault the pirate's hand was gone. 

The look she gave him, was of frustration and disbelief, as though she had really thought this was all about Hook's hand. "You stole his wife!" 

Blowing out a harsh breath before speaking, Hook began advancing slowly on Belle. "Tell me something love." His voice sounded controlled, made all the more frightening for the lack of emotion in it. "If a woman comes to you..." Belle had backed up all she could, and still Hook pressed in tight, their bodies touching. "Begs you to take her away..." He was close enough that they could have kissed, Hook invading her space, making Belle aware of him, and of the heat of his body. He talked to Belle, but his focus was on her mouth, his intent really seeming like at any moment he would take that kiss from her. "Is that theft?" Hook asked, their noses brushing. Belle's eyes lowered to his lips for one brief instant. 

She flushed guiltily enough, when her eyes lifted and saw he was now looking at her, rather than focused on her mouth. "Why would she leave him?" She asked, and even her voice sounded strained. 

His lips pulled back, Hook flashing all his teeth in a feral growl. "Because he was a coward. And because she loved me." 

Not even the fact that Belle's eyes had darted a quick glance at his mouth once more, could shake Hook out of his anger. He stepped back, and went to the table, running his hook over the scarf. "I should have burned this the moment I had acquired it." 

"Why didn't you?" 

"Because she made it..." Hook admitted, not looking at Belle. Not looking until her apology made him go rigid, his gaze jerking back towards her. 

"I'm sorry she died." She sounded like she meant it too, but Belle's sincerity was ruined by her attempts to reason with him on Rumplestiltskin's behalf. "But vengeance? Vengeance won't bring her back!" 

"Died...." Hook said, walking back towards Belle. "Like it was some kind of accident, is that what he told you?" 

"He uh...he didn't say...." 

"No of course not. Of course he would leave out the most important detail of her passing." He was right back in her space, but this time he wasn't anything but angry. 

"And uh..." Belle whispered. "What would that be?" 

"He KILLED her." It wasn't as satisfying as Hook had expected it to be, to watch the horror and dismay fill up Belle's expression. And yet he kept on fueling those emotions, the gun brought up to her face, then turned down to brush over her chest. To prod directly over her heart. "He ripped out her heart..." His voice was an angry whisper, Hook backing Belle up closer to the wall. "And he crushed it..right in front of me." 

He saw the denial take over, Belle frantically shaking her head no. "No." She breathed out, and Hook responded. 

"Oh yes." 

"NO!" She repeated, her voice breaking on an angry sob. 

"He would do anything..." The gun was now tracing along her jaw line, Hook then using it to tilt her head back. Belle was shaking, holding in her gasps, but still managing to glare at him defiantly. "Anything! To hold onto his power. Why do you think any one whose ever gotten close to him..." Abruptly he released her, stepping past the woman. "Has either run away..." He heard her footsteps, Belle trying for the door. "Or been killed?!" Hook finished, spinning around, the safety of the gun clicking loudly in the room. 

He had shouted the last, aiming the gun at Belle once more. "What makes you think you're any different?" Hook asked softly. "Tell me something, darling....why would you want to fight for a man like that?" It wasn't just rhetoric, Hook truly wanted to know. Wanted to understand why a woman with Belle's qualities would ever waste her time on a monster like Rumplestiltskin. 

"Because..." Belle spoke without hesitation. "I still see the good in him. Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart is true." 

So earnest, so sincere, still clinging to those beliefs. Rumplestiltskin didn't deserve a woman like Belle, didn't deserve to have her, or anyone else believing in him, or his supposed goodness. A real flash of honest to goodness envy filled him, Hook jealous of Rumplestiltskin, of what he had found in Belle. Hook couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have a woman like her believe in HIM, to speak so earnestly and heartfelt about his own inner qualities. 

Hook was wondering if a woman like Belle would somehow find the good in him, if she could somehow be loyal and true to him instead of Rumplestiltskin when she abruptly spoke again. "And yours?" His eyebrow arched, Hook bracing himself for what possibly things she could say about his own black heart. "Yours is rotten." 

He had been distracted, it was the only reason why she had managed to pull the paddle down from it's spot on the ceiling. It was a move completely unexpected, Belle hitting him with it, causing him to fall back from the blow, and tumble down into the very place he had once been holding the cricket prisoner. 

Landing hard, the coiled ropes hardly ideal cushioning for breaking a fall, Hook lay there stunned for one second. Hearing Belle's frantic footsteps, the woman running out the room above him, Hook's anger rearing. Angry at her, at himself, for wanting something he would most likely never have, Belle's words about his heart echoed in his head. He snarled then, thinking she had no idea how rotten his heart truly was. But she soon would, Hook scrambling to his feet. 

Climbing up, Hook took a roundabout way to get topside, leaping out in front of Belle just as she was running for the steps that would lead off the ship. Belle nearly screamed, the scarf clutched in her hands, and she stared at him shocked. 

"How uh...how did you....?" 

"Oh, I know this ship like the back of my...." He didn't finish, smiling ironically as he and she both glanced at his hook. "Well you know..." 

"I suggest you give that back to me now..." Hook then added, once again advancing on Belle. She seriously looked as though she was considering barreling past him anyway, Hook stepping slightly to the side. Giving her an opening that she actually tried to take, Belle lunging past him, only to get caught around the waist by his arms. 

"NO!" She cried out, tugging back as his hook caught hold of the wool, the pirate easily plucking it free of her hands. She kept on trying to reach for it, twisting about in his grip so that for one moment they were face to face. Her expression was fierce, beautiful even in it's anger. He kept on denying her the scarf, feeling the way her body rubbed against his, the squirming Belle was doing oddly enticing. 

But Hook wouldn't allow her to be a distraction, the man dragging Belle with him over to a metal barrel. The barrel was missing it's top, holding a black liquid substance filled to about the half way mark. 

"You know what this is, love...?" Hook asked, but Belle barely looked at it. Not until he lit a match, the oil's response immediate and eager, the flames crackling inside the barrel. 

"Don't!" Belle cried out, struggling even more to get free, and to get the scarf from him. "You can't." 

She looked close to tears, actually panicking. It was oddly touching in a sickening way, that she would still cry for Rumplestiltskin. 

"I'm afraid your pleas fall on deaf ears, love." Hook said, beginning to dangle one end of the scarf over the barrel. It was sadistic, but he was enjoying himself, enjoying her frantic squirming, and the way that she was begging him. 

"Please!" Belle continued, having placed one hand on his arm, trying to keep it from lowering any further. "There has to be some other way....something else you can do. Don't cost him his son!" 

"He has to know what it feels like to lose someone precious." Hook insisted. "He has to know the same pain I knew...the same pain I feel even now!" 

"Not this!" Belle cried out. "Anything but this!" 

The end of the scarf had the flames licking at it, the wool starting to catch on fire. Hook should have dropped it the rest of the way into the fire, but instead he let it dangle between total destruction and relative safety. Because her words had made him realize something. Had made Hook realize there was something more he could do, something that might be even better than preventing Rumplestiltskin from reuniting with his son. 

"Anything?" Hook asked, looking not at the scarf but at the woman in his arms. "And would you do anything for him?" 

"You know I would." Belle said plaintively. 

He did indeed, more of that envious feeling surging through him. Remembering how he had once had a woman, Milah, who had been willing to do just about anything for him. Even endanger her own life in order to save Hook's. It didn't seem fair that Rumplestiltskin was now in that enviable position, that he had Belle to believe in him, trust him, devote herself to him while being absolutely loyal to him, and him alone. 

"Well then love, you have a very important decision to make." Hook told her, fighting to keep from purring. He delighted in watching that confused look appear on her face, Hook lowering his mouth towards hers. "I'll let you bargain for it." 

"Bargain? Bargain with what?" Belle demanded. "I have nothing of value." 

"Oh but you do." Hook said, his lips practically caressing hers with every word spoken. "You've been selling it since the moment you found my ship, making me aware of just how appealing a trade this could be...." 

She frowned, having no idea what he could be referring to. 

"You Belle. I'll take you." 

Her mouth parted in shock, an opening Hook took prime advantage of. Giving her more than the kiss he had been threathening her with earlier, Hook now taking full possession of Belle's mouth with his lips and his tongue. She made a noise in protest, her hands pushing at his chest. He only kissed her harder, nearly forgetting about the scarf, his one and only bargaining chip to get Belle in his life. 

"Well, Belle..." Hook said, resting his forehead against hers, listening to the sound of her gasping breaths. "Will you be my woman? Or shall I let Rumplestiltskin's one and only chance to find his precious son go up in flames?" 

She didn't answer right away, actually letting him lower the scarf further before she shouted at him to wait. "All right!" She cried out. "I will do this." She closed her eyes, actually shuddering with her breath. "I will be yours. Now please! Put out the fire!" 

It was a split second decision she had made, one that she didn't look entirely sure of. But Belle was so obviously the type, loyal to a fault, that she couldn't, actually refused to be the reason Rumplestiltskin's son stayed lost. Especially if there was something she could do about it. It was oddly endearing, and also infuriating, though Hook almost laughed to think Belle hadn't thought it through properly. Hadn't thought of the pain she would still be causing Rumplestiltskin with her decision. He liked the thought of Rumplestiltskin hurting over this, but even more than that, Hook liked the thought of Belle belonging to him. Hell it was enough to make him half hard, when he hadn't really done anything to her aside from a kiss. But he soon would be doing more, Hook taking the scarf, and flinging it over the side of the ship. It made a little splash, the fire put out with a stifled hiss as the scarf then began sinking to the bottom of the harbor. Let Rumplestiltskin dig it out himself, Hook now had his woman to see to. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

To Be Continued.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's crazy scary how many ideas just a few moments can give me. XD Anyway, this one is going to get smutty, like maybe extra smutty and obviously pretty early on. This is actually a completely new attempt, as my first one which was a very smutty Belle POV was trashed. This version is better, though I still couldn't get it completely to my satisfaction. X_X
> 
> It also starts out as what one would call dubious consent. She's consented, but is not without her own hesitations and second thoughts. ^^;; Consider these your warnings.... 
> 
> \-----Michelle


	2. Two

It was ridiculous how his mood had improved, how much better Hook was now feeling about things. He actually felt something akin to being happy, which was a right riot considering he hadn't truly felt that in years. Hadn't even felt a glimmer of it, Hook unable to be happy once Milah had been lost. 

Instead grief had been his constant companion, Hook mourning Milah. Sad, angry, vengeful, all the darker emotions, even hate having fueled him. Those feelings having driven Hook all these years with one ambition as his sole motivator. To somehow get revenge on Rumplestiltskin. And now here was the key, actually in his care, Belle a far better revenge than destroying some scrappy piece of fabric. He couldn't wait to see Rumplestiltskin's heart break, but more than that, Hook was looking forward to having Belle. To learning just what kind of woman she really was, in and out of his bed. 

It was that kind of eagerness that made it difficult for Hook to keep his hand off of her. But he was determined to act the gentleman, at least within reason, ushering Belle below deck, with nothing more than a proprietary touch on the small of her back. When really he wanted to do more, to claim fully what she had bargained away. But so far he hadn't done more than kiss her, Hook going to great lengths to control himself. It was an effort, but he didn't want to scare Belle completely. Not if they were going to have a relationship, twisted as it was. 

Once Hook would have despised the thought of what he was doing, all but forcing a woman to be his. True Belle had given her consent, but it had been a forced, reluctant choice, the woman having had to make what might prove the most difficult decision of her life. Frankly it was downright criminal, how deeply devoted she had been to such an undeserving man. Belle would be far off better with Hook caring for her, than she could have ever been with that monster. And one day, Belle would come to believe that too. 

He gave her the merest ghost of a smile, the woman pale faced and nervous. She looked as though she was in shock, as though Belle couldn't believe what she had just agreed to. It made her compliant, Belle unresisting as he guided her down deeper into the ship. She'd continue in that daze, right up until they reached the bedroom, Hook doing a flourishing gesture with his arm. 

"My lady..." He began, unable to keep from stressing that possession. Belle seemed to flinch back into awareness, and actually needed to be prodded forward before she would deign to cross the threshold to his bedroom. She flinched again, at the sound of the door's lock turning, the poor dear looking close to fainting. 

He wasn't completely cruel, taking pity on her. Guiding her over to sit down in a chair, Hook retreated long enough to pour her a glass of spirits. She'd blink up at him with those pretty blue eyes, still too in shock to properly show her confusion. 

"Here love...this will help you relax." Hook said. He was impressed when she took hold of the glass, her hand barely shaking. Certainly nothing spilled, Belle drinking down half the glass without making any comments, not even about the strong taste of the brandy. 

"Feeling a bit better, darling?" Hook asked, in the middle of shrugging out of his long leather coat. Belle's eyes were on him the entire time, flinching once more when the coat hit the floor. The flinching bothered him, but wasn't enough to get him to consider stopping. He was wanting her too much, driven by a need that didn't completely have to do with his taking revenge on Rumplestiltskin. 

"Love..." He began. "You have to...." 

"Could you not do that?" Belle interrupted suddenly. "Could you not call me that, or darling, or any other of the dozens of endearments I'm sure that you know." 

This time Hook did frown, confused by this request of hers. "Why ever not?" 

"Because it's too much of a lie." Belle spoke plainly. "It gives the illusion that there is some kind of affection between us, some kind of real feeling or relationship when this is nothing more than a trade." 

"Ah Belle." He approached her, taking the half empty glass from her hands, and setting it aside. "You really have no concept of what you just agreed to, do you?" 

"I agreed to....to have sex with you." She whispered, and Hook gave her a look. 

"Ah Belle, it's a lot more complicated than that." His hand was reaching for her, cupping her cheek. She managed not to flinch for that, holding herself absolutely still. 

"Complicated?" She echoed with a question. "What do you mean?" 

"You agreed to be my woman. That means you're under my care, that you belong to me in and out of bed." Her eyes which were still so shocked looking, began to dawn with a horrific understanding. Hook wasn't particularly pleased with that kind of over exaggerated reaction, considering himself a nice man to look at, and even nicer man to take as a lover. 

"You do understand now, don't you?" Hook asked. "That this isn't a one time thing." 

"No...that's not...that can't be what I was agreeing too!" She protested wildly. 

"Ah Belle, my darling....you did." She pushed his hand away from her, Hook letting it drop to his side. Watching as her eyes grew wet, though she didn't outright start crying. "You really are innocent of the way of the world. Even after all the time you spent with that devil, Rumplestiltskin." He tsked. "You'd think he above all people would have taught you to be careful what deals you make, and with who." 

"Are you saying you're as bad as Rumplestiltskin?" Belle asked, watching as Hook lowered himself to one knee. 

"Oh love, I can be so much worse than him." He touched her legs then, feeling the thin hose she wore over them. Belle started trembling, her eyes on him as he began smiling, rubbing his hand up and down her shapely calve. 

There was things they needed to get clear, things Belle had to understand. It was more than just sex, more than just making a show of affection. Hook wanted Belle to understand just what he wanted from her, ALL that he wanted. 

Difficult though it was to concentrate, when he felt the sheer silk on her leg, but Hook still made an effort to talk. "I wasn't kidding when I said you had succeeded in selling me on just how appealing a woman you are." 

"Appealing?" She frowned at him. "So you think I'm pretty?" 

"Well that too." Hook agreed with a smile. "But beauty alone wouldn't have been enough. Not without a spirit to match." He was still caressing her leg, still kneeling, gazing up at her. Her legs were pressed tight together, obscuring his view of what was under that wickedly short skirt of hers. But Hook would have bet money that whatever she wore beneath her dress, would be an overly provocative sight given how the women of this world all dressed. 

"You're smart Belle. You're brave, and you're loyal. You devote yourself fully to your man, believing in him against all odds." Hook rested his hand on her knee. "It's that kind of devotion I admire. The kind I want for myself." 

"You must know you can't have it. Not from me." 

"But I can!" interrupted Hook. "There's more to being my woman than just affection. I want you devote yourself to me, to think of me often. To swear loyalty to me and mean it." 

"I don't love you..." 

"I'm not asking you to love me." Hook retorted. "But I am asking you to devote yourself to me. I'm telling you to get to know me, to find something you can like about me, and use that as a basis to form a relationship with me." 

"A relationship? With a woman you had to manipulate into this situation?" Belle asked in disbelief. 

"It's better than being my whore." Hook said, his tone turning cold. "And far better than anything you could have gotten from Rumplestiltskin." 

"You know nothing about my relationship with him." 

"I know it's over." Hook told her. "He'll never forgive you for this. Not even for the fact you made this bargain in order to help him get back his son." He extended his hand towards her face, fingertips brushing the line of her jaw gently. "There's no going back to him, Belle. You've lost everything where he is concerned. Might as well pick up the pieces of your life and move on..." 

"With you?" She demanded, lip curling. 

"With me." He agreed, ignoring the way she scoffed in response. His fingers did one more caress, and then he lowered it to the front of her sweater, reaching for the button that held it together over her breasts. An immediate gasp was given, Belle reaching for his wrist, trying to pull his hand away. 

"I can do that myself." 

"I've no doubt you can, but I WANT to do it." Hook said, shrugging off her attempts to pull his hand away. He meant what he said, not only wanting, but needing to do this. To strip and bare her body to him, Hook wanting to be involved every step of the way with her body's unveiling. 

"Fine, do as you like." She grumbled, and stiffened at his dark chuckle. 

"Oh I will love, I will." 

He made deft work of her buttons, not even a single one being torn free of the sweater. Hook then carefully pulled it open, watching Belle's face as he began to ease the sweater off of her arms. 

"That's better." Hook said, his tone and smile soft. The sweater was dropped onto the floor, Hook rising up to loom over Belle. She raised her gaze to him, that expression trying for a defiant look. He only smiled more, Hook bending over the woman to kiss her. Slowly at first, not at all trying to force her mouth open. Just kissing and mouthing at her lips, working them over so that they plumped enough to give her a pouting look. 

Brushing his thumb over her lips, his hand then slid across her cheek, and into her hair. Holding her, guiding Belle to tilt her head to the side, Hook began kissing down the woman's neck. Belle remained silent during this, bravely enduring what he was doing. Her hands ended up in her lap, forming two tight fists that had even her arms shaking from the effort it took her not to hit him. 

Belle nearly jumped when he gently scraped his teeth over her pulse point. The tension didn't leave her, even as he began mouthing at it, sucking and worrying at the skin, working to make a bruise blossom there. It was a blatant marking, Hook leaving proof of his kiss in a spot easily seen. He'd soon make similar ones elsewhere on Belle's body, Hook marking her even on skin that would normally be hidden from prying eyes. 

He let go of her hair, his hand then pressing just over the top of her breasts. Resting there palm down, not doing anything as he kissed over her shoulder, using his teeth to tug on the thin strap that held up her dress. Once dislodge, it began slipping down her shoulder, Hook following it with his mouth. Caressing his lips over her skin, and using his hook's tip to pull down the strap on the opposite arm. 

When he began peeling the blouse downwards, Belle made some kind of protesting noise. He quickly moved to kiss her quiet, mouth more forceful now, tongue licking repeatedly over the seam of her lips. She made another sound, Hook breaking the kiss, looking her straight in the eyes before moving to drop kisses on the tops of her breasts. 

The blouse was drawn down to her waist, Belle left just in her strapless bra. It was as sinful and wicked a creation as he had expected, the cups barely able to contain her full glory. He actually tugged it down with his mouth, delighted as her breasts bounced free of the confining lace. 

"Hook." It was the first time she had ever said his pirate's name, Hook glancing away from her breasts. Spying her cheeks which had the faintest dusting of color on them, Belle embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Don't." She said, then made her voice louder than the soft whisper she had been using. "Don't bother. Just get on with it." 

"Oh no Belle." Hook told her. "That is not going to happen. I am not just going to use you just to get off." He moved to kiss her, placing his mouth just over one nipple. "Belle, my pet, you are going to know exactly what it feels like to be my woman." 

She actually shuddered, and cried out, Hook's mouth closing around her nipple. It wasn't yet stiff, Belle hadn't begun to react to him with anything like arousal. But Hook was sure he could change that, and he didn't mind if it would take a little effort on his part, the pirate the kind of man who enjoyed a woman's body, and the many lovely ways one could pleasure a lady. 

Eyes on Belle's face, Hook watched her as he worked over her nipple. Letting the hot wet feel of his mouth stimulate it, his tongue laving over it, making it ache. His lips pursed tighter around it, Hook beginning to suck gently but determinedly on her. Belle thrashed her head from side to side, her hands touching his shoulders, trying to push him away. Hook growled in warning at her, getting more vigorous, cheeks hollowing out at the ruthless way he had at her. 

Belle began biting at her lip, fighting against her cries. She couldn't stop from arching when his good hand covered her other breast. his fingers squeezing, then kneading that soft pliant flesh. He felt the nipple there begin to protrude against the palm of his hand, Hook rubbing in circular motions over it. 

"Don't hold back love." Hook said when he let her nipple pop out of his mouth. "Let me hear your voice." He was rewarded with her glare, Hook licking one more time over her nipple, before switching to the other breast. Belle's nails began digging into his shirt, the woman shifting in place. Hook dropped his hand, to put his arms around her waist, lifting her up off the chair to hoist her high up on his body. Her legs bent, thighs squeezing on either side of him, Belle seeking balance. Hook was still connected to her, mouth moving vigorously over her sweet nipple as he stumbled in the direction of his bed. 

They tumbled down together, the surprise of it making Belle cry out. Hook held her a moment longer, kissing between her breasts, and under them, mouthing at the plump flesh there. Distracting her as he got the dress off the rest of the way, tearing the hose in his eager attempts to get at the treat her panties covered. 

He'd pause to run his lips across her waist, to plant moist kisses on her left hip, just over the strap of her panties. His fingers would touch over the lace, Belle attempting to shy away. Never did Hook miss his hand more, than now, when he was limited in just what he could do to hold Belle still. It came down to choices, Hook having to decide just what he would use his sole remaining hand for. 

There was things he really missed, such as being able to pin a woman down, while having his other hand free to roam all over her body. A whispered command could be just as effective, depending on the woman, but ultimately not as satisfying as the feel of holding a woman by her hips, pinning her to the bed, forcing her to be still while he took his time exploring. 

"Just be still love." Hook urged Belle. "Be still and let me take care of you." 

"You've done enough, haven't you?" Belle asked. "There's no more need to play at caring." 

"You really don't understand." 

"I understand plenty." Belle insisted. "You mean to shame me." 

"Not even close." Hook replied. He shifted, moving up her body, attempting to kiss her again. Belle quickly turned her head to the side, Hook retaliating by cupping her groin over her panties. Her reaction was immediate, Belle whipping her face back towards him. Her eyes flashed, she was angry. He kissed her anyway, moving his fingers slowly, rhythmically over the lace covering her sex. It was slight, but still stimulating, Hook caressing over and over as he continued to kiss Belle. 

Her breath hitched in her throat, her breasts heaving. That slight blush was increasing, her cheeks pink and reddening even further. It would soon spread out, her whole face red with it, the flush not entirely embarrassment but also arousal. 

By the time he eased aside the lace, pressing his fingers directly over her dampening slit. Belle was kissing Hook back. It wasn't yet a total surrender, the kisses not yet desperate. Hook wanted her urgent, wanting her aching for his cock. Wanted Belle to want him, to be in be in as much pain as he was starting to feel, his erection trapped in the confines of his pants. 

His hook all but tore open the front of them, Hook's dick springing free. It afforded him just the tiniest bit of relief, Hook sighing against Belle's lips. Licking slowly over them, then dropping a kiss to her shoulder, his fingers busy playing between her legs. Rubbing over her slit, then spreading it open, his fingers then dipped into the moisture pooling there. She was wet enough, but Hook wanted her positively dripping, the woman gone crazy for him. 

His fingers moved more purposefully with that intent in mind, stroking over and over, then doing a rough circling movement over her clit. The tiniest of whimpers escaped Belle, her hips jerking back. Hook rubbed her clit again, making that tiny pearl throb while he kissed between her breasts. He was really lamenting the loss of his other hand, Hook shifting, kissing down Belle's body, laving his tongue over her navel before spreading her legs wider. 

He got a good look at her treasure, her aroused flesh as pink as her face, and glistening from the juices of her arousal. Hook fought back a growl, glancing up at Belle who was covering her face with her hands. 

"Pretty here as well." he praised her and meant it. He kissed on the inside of her thigh, one butterfly soft kiss after the other. Working his way to her wet center. She tried to close her legs, but Hook was in the way, her knees bumping against his shoulders. 

Belle cried out, the sound loud when Hook pressed his mouth to her. One taste was all it took to make Hook wild, the man feasting on Belle's flesh like she was the finest delicacy ever to be had. Kissing her flesh, mouthing at it, actually sucking on it. Then kissing again, his lips caressing over every spot, making Belle shiver and shake. She actually began to lose it long before his tongue started lapping at her clit, Belle's legs no longer trying to close, that rigid tension leaving her as she all but collapsed in place on the bed. 

Kneading the thigh of one of her splayed legs, Hook looked up at Belle. She had her eyes closed, her voice doing a high keening sound. Little gasps and ooohs escaped her on occasion, Belle even saying yes at one point. Her body was not still, the woman moving, practically dancing in place. Her breasts quivered with every frantic breath, Belle continued to gasp and moan, actually squealing softly at times. 

Her hands were active, Belle clutching at the bed sheets. Digging her nails into them, then fisting what she had pulled up, Belle moaning out an Oh God. Hook kept licking her, fascinated, aroused by what he was seeing. Enthralled by her movements, the sheer pleasure she was feeling, and the way she had finally given herself over to it. 

It was so damn sexy, Hook thought, rubbing himself against the bed. Marveling at the wonder of it, downright shocked that a mere bookworm could be this erotic, this appealing. Her little passion induced show was elevating his estimation of Belle's worth, Hook wondering how in the world Rumplestiltskin had thought to keep such a treasure all to himself. 

His mouth moved, his tongue probing at the entrance to her body. She wasn't a virgin, that much was clear. That demon Rumplestiltskin hadn't been able to keep his hands off her after all, but Hook didn't mind---MUCH. Not when it meant Rumplestiltskin would know just what a sexy piece he had lost, Belle a wild, passionate being, gyrating in time to the thrusting of Hook's tongue. 

She was still moving, still moaning, when he finally lifted his mouth up. His tongue licked at his lips, tasting her arousal on them. He didn't stop touching her, fingers plunging inside her, thrusting fast and making her bounce against them in a sheer desperate attempt to ride herself to a climax. 

Hook kissed on her body in several more places, before he shifted upwards, looming over Belle. She was too lost to notice him hovering over her, watching her with sheer and utter fascination in his eyes. Her lids were fluttering rapidly, Belle arching up off the bed. Hook couldn't stop staring, thinking her the most beautiful, most erotic thing ever. 

She was full out panting when her body began to climax, Hook holding in his groan at the way her sex clenched around his fingers. He couldn't wait to feel that same tight squeezing around his cock, Hook nearly moaning in sheer anticipation of it. Wanting Belle, needing her, actually dribbling pre come on the bed, Hook saw no more reason to wait. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gets killed for the to be continue stopping point.* 
> 
> Mainly I stopped here, cause I want to try to do the next moments in Belle's POV. Course we'll see how that goes. might end up not liking it, and try a Hook POV after all. But I probably won't try anything until tomorrow. Need my sleep! 
> 
> \------Michelle


	3. Three

She had gone crazy, it was the only explanation. The only possible reason why her body could be reacting this strongly, Belle wild and damn near incoherent, writhing in place on the bed. The fingers inside her still continued their movement, spurring her body onwards, Belle unable to keep from moving. She was wanting things, craving the touches, the feel of those fingers plunging in as deep as they could reach and still needing more. 

Trying to get it, Belle actually began pushing back against the hand, trying to wiggle and bounce her way to relief. Crying out again and again, in a voice she did not recognize, didn't want to believe could possibly come from within, for it was sounding just as out of control as the rest of her. 

Moving, bending back against the bed as her body arched, Belle's fingers continued to clench on the bed sheets. Her eye lids fluttered rapidly, her vision losing focus, Belle barely able to remember who she was, let alone understanding the hows and whys of what was happening. In a sexually euphoric daze, Belle screamed, the feel of her climax almost hurting when her body finally gave over to it. 

She didn't stop her gyrations then, actually rolling her hips. Biting down on her lip, low keening sounds were coming out of her. The pleasure that centered in her groin, expanded outwards, racing throughout her body. Her grip on the sheets became painful, Belle's inability to relax her fingers the only thing that kept her from running them all over her body. 

It didn't matter, someone was doing it for her. A work rough hand was touching on her, cupping hold of one breast, squeezing it as kisses were peppered all over her collar bone. Belle's state could be described as delirious, the woman downright over stimulated. She wasn't thinking of much, living in the moment through feeling alone. Even once the after shocks of her climax began receding, Belle was still out it, not reacting to the masculine voiced groan that came from above her. 

The touches continued, fingers working one hand free of her grip on the bed sheet. That hand was then lifted, someone kissing over the knuckles, then licking between her fingers. She really was too sensitive, if even that felt so good. 

From outside her awareness, the bed groaned as the person next to her shifted. Her hand continued to be held, kisses now being nuzzled into her neck, lips translating their ardor with a eager moistness. 

"Belle." A voice was whispering in her ear. She made a sound, a little hum of acknowledgement, but otherwise didn't react. "Belle darling, look at me." 

Her eyelids began to flutter open completely, Belle ready to smile. Expecting to see Rumplestiltskin, only to freeze completely, unease merely one aspect of the complete and utter horror Belle felt to see Hook besides her instead. 

Stomach seeming to tie itself in upset knots, Belle couldn't stop herself from crying out. From trying to lurch away. Her body didn't want to support such an action, downright lethargic after all that had happened to it. Not even the fact that Belle felt as though reality had suckered punched her awake, could give the woman the adrenaline she needed to do more than scoot a few inches to the side. 

No longer feeling the slightest of good, Belle closed her eyes with a moan. Everything came back to her then, Belle remembering the deal she had made, the things she had been doing, the things that she had let Hook do to her. Shame surged through her, Belle shaking when Hook laid his hand on her again. The sex was bad enough, but to have enjoyed it, even for a minute? Intolerable, Belle cursing the fact that her body had proved too sensitive, not thinking, not caring that perhaps she had been over stimulated to that point. 

She was on the verge of crying, her eyes filling with tears. A drop would slip down her cheek, Belle cringing when she felt a thumb gently brush it away. And then she really was crying, Belle struggling when Hook pulled her into his arms, settling her on his lap. She could feel the proof of his desire prodding at her bottom, and on some level she recognized the amount of sheer control the pirate exerted to NOT thrust it inside her. But she refused to award him points for that, for a situation that was happening as a direct result of his own actions. Belle wanted to slap him, as much as she wanted to slap herself, and not even Hook's silent attempts at comfort could make her feel better. 

Not when she was remembering everything, every filthy detail, and the way that she had reacted. Acting like some shameless, wanton woman, giving herself completely over to pleasure. To a stranger's pleasure, Belle knowing she hadn't been anywhere as embarrassed over those kind of reactions of hers, during the times she had been with Rumplestiltskin. It was the depth of her feelings that had made all the difference, Belle in love with Rumplestiltskin, and loved in return by him. She couldn't claim any sort of similar feelings for Hook, she didn't think she even liked the man, let alone truly knew him. And she wasn't about to fool herself into thinking he had any great affection for her, Belle understanding his motives were purely about getting revenge on Rumplestiltskin and using her to do it. 

"Easy love, easy." Hook was trying to soothe her, nuzzling her cheek with his. "There's no need to cry." 

Her eyes snapped open, more tears spilling even as she glared at Hook. "There's every reason to do just that!" Her chest heaved with her upset, the sob sounding strangled as she cried out. "I told you just to get on with it! That there was no need for this!" 

"No need for pleasure, pet?" Hook let out a soft chuckle, his voice strained from the effort of holding back on his lust when he was so close to attaining his ultimate prize. It was frankly amazing he could talk at all, that he hadn't been reduced to the same kind of mindless moaning Belle had just been doing. 

Not that he was completely still, rocking slightly so that his cock rubbed against her. Belle was dong her best to ignore that, the upset she was feeling giving her a burst of strength and determination, a new resolve to ignore the sexual sensations his rubbing was causing her. 

"Why would you ever want to deny yourself?" Hook was asking. That question alone told her enough, let Belle know that Hook was a man not using to denying himself anything, or anyone he had ever wanted. It was that kind of greed, that had allowed him to make off with a married woman, Hook knowing better and not caring that Milah, or that Belle for that matter, had belonged to another. 

Belle was stone eyed glaring as she listened to Hook talk. Her anger only dug it's claws in deeper inside her, Belle hating the things that Hook was saying. Hating and fearing the truth in them, the man actually purring.

"You were made for this." He was saying. "A natural when it comes to feeling and reacting to pleasure." His rubbing was getting more frantic, Belle's breath hitching in her throat. "You're lucky Belle. There are women out there that can't feel even one ounce of passion where as you? You feel it down to your soul." 

She didn't feel lucky. Not about that, or anything to do with this mad situation. "You have no right to my passion!" 

"Ah love, but I do." Hook said, and then he was shifting her, her hips lifting up enough to better facilitate his thrust inside her. Belle couldn't stop it, couldn't stop the cry that fled out of her mouth, the tiniest spasms tightening things inside her. Hook actually swore, his eyes doing their own rolling, the man holding himself absolutely still. 

When his expression had righted itself, his eyes then locked with hers, Hook looking like he was savoring the moment, savoring her. She nearly burst into tears right there and then again, Belle not wanting to be the focus of such a look. Not when it was Hook who was giving it, making Belle the intense focus of his dark blue gaze. 

It wasn't just now that he had looked at her like that. Belle could remember laying there, his touches everywhere, his mouth kissing all over. And all the while he had kept looking at her, his eyes glittering with desire, with sexual heat, spying on her every shudder, every gasp and gyration. 

She couldn't stand being looked at like that, couldn't tolerate holding his gaze any longer.She did the only thing she could do to protect herself, hiding her face against his shoulder. He rubbed his lips over the top of her head, Hook chuckling again as though he knew what was wrong. And then he was moving, thrusting up into her, making Belle too focused on Hook's cock inside her. 

He was large, and thick, but not yet so big as to be completely uncomfortable. Belle could feel her inside stretching, moving to accommodate his invasion inside her. Tiny tremors ran through her, Belle’s insides clenching fierce, Hook letting out another vicious sounding curse. She couldn't stop coming, her body luxuriating in the feel of Hook thrusting deep inside her. 

And then she was biting him, her hands behind his back, clawing at his shirt with her nails. Her own hips moved, Belle swearing they had taken a life of their own. Rolling them, feeling Hook deep in her belly, the man muttering something she couldn't quite make out. 

She still wouldn't look at him, Belle keeping her face pressed against his shoulder. Hook's fingers dug into her bottom, the man starting to move her, to make Belle do a light bouncing. He wasn't idle, moving his own hips, thrusting to meet her downward bounce. The entire length of him rubbed along her insides, a caress much deeper, more intimate than anything he could do with his fingers or his tongue. 

Her entire front moved against his, her breasts squished against him, sliding up and down with every bounce of her body. His arm was around her, holding her there, keeping them pressed together as close as two people could possible get and still remain their own. The round curve of his hook worked it's way up her back, rubbing gently over her spine. It was cold at first, but the silver quickly heated up from the warmth of Belle's body, soon becoming just another way for Hook to caress her into a fever pitch frenzy. 

Her legs were always shaking, the quivers purely born from the pleasurable sensations. Leaving her in no condition to do much of anything, Belle kneeling over Hook's lap, bouncing when he suddenly tipped her over onto her back. The change of position nearly got her to look up, but she was afraid of what she would see. Afraid of the look in his eyes, of being stared at by him, of being seen when Belle was letting Hook's lust consume her whole. 

And it was, Belle feeling like she was on fire from it. Being burned alive by him, by the sensations he was causing within her. And from the frantic way he was moving, the way he was pounding into her, Belle had a feeling that heat was affecting him too. Especially when he tangled his fingers into her hair, urging Belle to look up, then practically dragging her mouth onto his. Kissing her with the same frantic, frenetic pace, his tongue mimicking his hip's movements, both thrusting almost savagely into her. 

He kept on holding her head up, even after Hook broke the kiss. Forcing her to maintain eye contact with him, Hook whispering, his muttering making him sound feverish. Belle couldn't hear anything that made sense, the words broken, disjointed half sentences that melted into one long babble. 

Moisture was on his face, sweat beading on both their bodies. Their breathing was harsh, the pace Hook kept up exhausting. He kissed her again, then pulled back to scream, a loud groan of immense pleasure as Hook began spilling inside Belle. She couldn't stop the sound that she made, the squeal of protest, Belle trying to wiggle away. But it was too late, his warm seed filling her insides, Belle watching helpless at the satisfied look that now blossomed in Hook's eyes. 

For one second time stopped, the two just staring. Belle was aware that Hook was still lightly thrusting, slower and slower as he grew soft. And then he dropped his head, kissing her shoulder as though in thanks. The irritation that show of possible gratitude caused her, nearly tore a growl from her throat, Belle pushing at Hook's body. He didn't budge, still kissing, actually laving his tongue over her skin. 

Belle tried harder, actually speaking to him in a strangled, waspish tone. "Okay. You got what you wanted. Now get off and leave me be." 

He paused in his kissing, Hook looking absolutely fierce and serious. "This was only the start Belle." 

"The start?" She squeaked out, startled. Wondering what he could possibly mean, and fearing to find out. 

"I thought I made myself absolutely clear." Hook touched foreheads with her, his hand caressing over the front of her body. "I mean to KEEP you." 

He HAD said something like that earlier, but Belle had foolishly hoped he hadn't been serious. But the look and touch he gave her now, was downright possessive, Hook conveying that he thought she somehow belonged to him now. 

She didn't, Belle told herself that, then spoke it out loud. "I don't belong to you!" He just kept right on touching her, Belle repeating herself with an uncertain quiver in her voice. "I don't..." 

He finally pulled out of her, though Hook didn't go far. He merely shifted them both onto their sides, Hook pressing his front against her back. He kept right on touching her, Belle disturbed by the attention. By the way he caressed everywhere, even between her legs, as though Hook wanted to keep her in a perpetual state of arousal. 

It wasn't conducive to sleeping, which was something Belle was desperate for. Nor could she truly think, to mull over all that had happened, and what it meant for her, Hook and Rumplestiltskin. She was in denial, hoping that nothing would change, even though it so obviously had. Even if Hook was to let her go, release Belle from the bargain she had made, would Rumplestiltskin even want her now? Could Belle even live with herself, with the knowledge she had in effect sold herself, even if it had been for a cause she believed most noble? 

Was there even a chance for regret to settle, with Hook continuing his ministrations? He kept mouthing at her shoulder, lips' caress not even half as sweet as the caressing his fingers were doing. Belle shuddered and it wasn't all with pleasure, the woman angry at her body, and the blatant, downright eager way it accepted all that Hook had done. 

Sorrow lingered, waiting for the time when the pleasure would recede. Waiting for it's chance to take over, and overwhelm Belle with grief. Waiting for the full extent of her losses to hit her, for Belle to realize everything she had cost herself with the split second decision she had made. Waiting to berate and curse herself a fool, for being stupid enough to agree to something she hadn't full understood at the time. 

But it wouldn't happen right now, Belle finding herself moving in place against Hook's front. Slow and sensual, almost lazy like writhing, her bottom rubbing over his dick as Belle reacted to his fingers' stroking. Whimpering, unable to control her voice, Hook watching her again as she started to come. 

She was too exhausted to do anything else but sleep by the time Hook finally stopped touching her. He didn't let go, sliding his arm over her, possessive even then as he held her pinned against him. Belle could remember falling asleep with his mouth moving over the side of her neck, and then the next thing she knew, she was jolting upright from a nightmare. 

With half remembered moments of her nightmare still vivid in her mind, Belle realized what was happening wasn't a dream. It really was happening, the door to the bedroom having been blown off it's hinges, Hook gone from the bed. Even before she turned in the direction of the struggle, Belle knew what had happened. Her looking would only confirm it, Hook on the floor, struggling against the cane pressing into his throat. Belle couldn't see his attacker's face, but she would know that man anywhere, Rumplestiltskin having finally arrived. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will still be a Belle POV....though it might be delayed, cause I worry that Rumplestiltskin's feelings and reactions will be difficult to write. Hoo boy...that's putting it mildly. X_X 
> 
> \----Michelle


	4. Four

There was an honest moment where Belle considered doing nothing. A moment when all she wanted to do was hide, to turn her back and abandon her own responsibilities to the drama that was unfolding. Belle would actually sit there for a full minute, just listening to the sounds of the struggle. The two men were both making noise, Rumplestiltskin letting out a fierce growling while Hook wheezed, frantic for breath. 

She didn't have a good view of what was happening from the bed, Rumplestiltskin's back blocking much of Hook from her. But she could see the strain, the tension in Rumplestiltskin's arms, as he pressed down on Hook. The younger man was barely holding Rumplestiltskin at bay, his good hand gripping the cane, while his hook slid uselessly over the length of it. Perhaps if he had had both hands to grip the cane, Hook would have had an easier time. But the fact was he did not, Hook losing the battle, this much closer to having his windpipe crushed by Rumplestiltskin's cane. 

Belle was not a vindictive person. Neither was she particular vengeful minded. But this one time, she was almost tempted. Especially with what had just happened, with what Hook had been doing with her, to her, earlier in this bed. She was beyond embarrassed, humiliated and ashamed. Remembering that though Belle had done little more than lay there, her body had still reacted to Hook's. 

It was that reaction that so troubled her, that so tempted her to almost let Rumplestiltskin do as he wished. As if Hook being killed, would somehow wash away the taint of what had happened. As if his murder, could somehow make her clean again, make it that Belle had never struck such a deal, and that she hadn't climaxed several times while with Hook. 

But that wouldn't really change the past. Wouldn't make the shame of it go away, or erase the memory of Hook's touch on her body. As badly as Belle felt, she couldn't let what she had done with Hook, change her so completely, as to condone a cold blooded murder of anyone. Even that of the pirate, Belle gathering the bed sheet, wrapping and tying it secure around her naked body before standing.

Her legs were a bit unstable, not all of it having to do with nerves. It seemed Hook had been a little too vigorous, Belle's body unprepared for anything quite that enthusiastic. But she didn't cry out, didn't stumble though she did shake. Walking on trembling legs towards the men, speaking a name, but quietly at first. 

"Rumple." 

He didn't seem to hear, didn't seem aware of anything but Hook and his rage. Rumplestiltskin kept right on pressing down with his hands, the cane sometimes actually touching against Hook's throat. The pirate was red face, stealing breath when he could. There was blood over one eye, his temple cut, and his lip split. If there was any other injuries to him, Belle couldn't see, the pirate having had the luxury of falling asleep still some what clothed where as she had been completely naked. 

It was just another reason to be upset, Belle not liking the vulnerability that being left naked had made her feel. And yet she still tried to interfere, to save not just the pirate, but Rumplestiltskin, Belle not wanting him to darken his soul any further. Not with this, not with vengeance, not with anything, Belle wanting to keep on nourishing the goodness she still believed existed inside of Rumplestiltskin. 

"Rumple." She said in a louder tone. It would take a scream, and the full use of his name, to get Rumplestiltskin to finally acknowledge her. "Rumplestiltskin!" 

He didn't let up on Hook, the two still struggling. Hook had managed to shove the cane back enough to steal a few desperate breaths, but even with Rumplestiltskin's attention divided, he didn't stand much of a chance. 

"Rumplestiltskin, stop!" 

He glanced her way, Rumplestiltskin's angry eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn't blame him for that, knowing what he must be thinking, what he must be feeling. Belle knew things were about to become worse, for him, for them, even for Hook. And yet she braced herself, one hand held just above her breasts, gripping the bed sheet closed. 

"He...He didn't..." It was more difficult than she thought, Belle moistening her lips nervously. "He didn't rape me. He didn't...not exactly." 

Eyes looking far darker than Belle could ever recall them being, Rumplestiltskin spoke in far too calm a voice. "What does not exactly mean?" 

"I...." 

"I found you, Belle." Rumplestiltskin continued over her faltering voice. "I found you lying there in bed with him. Naked and used, with the tears still drying on your face. So tell me Belle, what exact part of that wasn't rape?" 

"How about the part where she agreed to it?" Hook wheezed out in between pants. Rumplestiltskin immediately struck him over the chest with the cane, several hits being delivered in the most painful of manner. Hook writhed in pain, crying out with each hit landed. 

When it began to look like he wasn't going to stop beating Hook, Belle cried out, laying a hand on Rumplestiltskin's arm. "He's telling the truth!" 

It didn't go completely silent, not with Hook's groans. He was attempting to laugh, but was hurt too bad to fully succeed at it. Rumplestiltskin had gone still, his eyes on Belle, as he stared at her. Searching her face, as though he would find a different answer, Rumplestiltskin finally whispering. 

"Why would you do this?" 

"I..." 

"Why would you seek to hurt me this way?" He demanded. "After all I've done...after all we've shared. I helped you, I protected you, I LOVED you. And this is how you repay me?" 

She couldn't stop the flinch that went through her, Belle not having failed to take note of the past tense in which he had spoke of her. Of the things he had done for her, including love, as though Rumplestiltskin was already shutting off all the feelings he had ever had for her. Belle refused to believe it was that easy for him, even if he was angry. Especially if he was angry, Belle understanding he was not only hurt but confused. 

"Rumple..." 

"Answer me Belle!" He snapped it out like an impatient order, the woman again flinching. Knowing she had done wrong, even as Belle had tried to do the right thing, the only thing she could do, if they had wanted the scarf saved. 

"It was the only way." She finally whispered. 

"The only way?" Rumplestiltskin made a mean snicker of sound, scoffing in his disbelief. "The only way to do what?! To betray me?!" 

"I would never betray you..." Belle began, then hesitated. "Not without no other choice left to me." 

"No other choice?" Rumplestiltskin echoed. "No other choice than to lay with my most hated enemy?" He was rising off of Hook, the movement slow, graceful. It seemed a dozen times worse than if he had moved fast and violently, Rumplestiltskin trying far too hard to maintain a rigid control over his feelings. 

Belle couldn't stop herself from taking a step back, watching as Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eyes in response. She didn't even want to guess how he had misinterpreted her quick retreat, Belle clutching the bed sheet harder until her knuckles bled of their color. Until they became as white as her face surely was. 

She was upset, and a part of her, wisely was afraid. She couldn't help it, the anger he was battling with, seemed infinitely worse than that time in his castle. The day that they had shared a kiss, Belle giving him her first, her motives entirely based on love and good intentions. Her kiss then had been true, her heart as pure as Belle herself had once been. It had held the power to break Rumplestiltskin's curse, and for a few seconds she had gotten a glimpse of the man that he could be. 

What had followed those few seconds was one of the most terrifying and most disappointing moments of her life. For Rumplestiltskin had realized what was happening, and had then flown into a rage, desperate to hold onto his power. Accusations and terror had followed, Rumplestiltskin angry and suspicious. Assuming Belle had not had the best intentions in mind, the man actually having to lock her up in the dungeon for several days for her OWN protection and his. 

Now, with Rumplestiltskin barely controlling his anger, Belle was very much wishing to be back in the dungeon, as if that room could somehow protect her from what was happening. From what Rumplestiltskin might do, might say in the heat of the moment. 

"Tell me Belle. What was it about him?" Rumplestiltskin demanded, moving in that slow, patient way. It took all her will power to hold still, Belle letting Rumplestiltskin reach her, the man stopping within touching distance. "Just what is it about that miserable pirate, that makes a woman who has supposedly pledged her love to me, TO ME, go to his bed?" 

Belle could hear the unspoken questions, see the hurt, Rumplestiltskin wondering how this could have happened to him more than once. And then Hook was speaking, his voice hoarse, his breathing labored. 

"Perhaps what you really should be asking is just what is so unappealing about you, to have not one but two women so quick to seek any way out." 

Rumplestiltskin didn't even look Hook's way, a gesture from his arm sending the pirate flying. Belle let out a cry, watching as Hook first slammed into a wall, then crumpled to the floor. The anger in Rumplestiltskin's eyes surged brighter, the struggle for control visible in his expression. 

"You would cry stricken for him?" 

"I cry for YOU." Belle finally told him, her tone savage with all her hurt emotions and fear. "You're better than this Rumple...Or at least you should be." She added at his scoff. "Rumple...don't do this. Don't revert back to the way you were. Don't undermine the goodness inside you, the goodness I still believe in and fight for! Don't stop being the man that I love..." 

"You love me? Don't be absurd!" Rumplestiltskin snapped, seeming to shake with an unvoiced laughter. "Your love is worth little if this is how you express it." 

"I did it for you." She whispered, and watched Rumplestiltskin's body go ramrod straight. 

"What?! For me?" 

Holding her breath, Belle nodded. Rumplestiltskin gave her an unpleasant smile, starting to step even closer when a sword was thrust between them. 

"That's far enough, crocodile." Somehow even beaten, Hook managed to hold a sword without swaying. He looked fierce, and determined, and then he gave his own cold, unpleasant smile. "You won't be crushing any hearts today." 

Belle felt a chill go through her at that, remembering what Hook had told her about Milah. About how Milah had died at Rumplestiltskin's own hands. Rumplestiltskin did look angry enough to want to kill, but Belle stubbornly clung to her belief that he wouldn't hurt her. 

"He won't hurt me." She stated this out loud, but Hook was unconvinced. 

"I've seen what he is capable of. What he does to those he supposedly loves." 

"There's nothing supposed about it." Belle stated firmly. "Rumplestiltskin loves me. He wouldn't be hurting this way if he didn't. He wouldn't be feeling the same heart sick feelings that I do, nor would he be struggling to make sense of all this. But Rumple...you have to know. My..decision had nothing to do with hurting you, and everything to do with helping you. With helping you to be able to find your son." 

"My son?" In the moment Rumplestiltskin looked as though he didn't even remember having a son, or that Baelfire was among the reasons why he had come to Hook's ship in the first place. 

"Baelfire." Belle reminded him. "You NEED that scarf, if you're going to go find him." 

"What does the scarf have to do with this?" 

"It has EVERYTHING to do with this!" Belle exclaimed. "Rumple...Hook was going to BURN that scarf to ash." Rumplestiltskin's gaze turned murderous, the man turning to glare at the pirate. Belle ignored Hook's sword, stepping around it, to lay a hand on Rumplestiltskin. Sadness filled her at the way Rumplestiltskin flinched at her touch, Belle exhaling a breath before continuing. "There was no chance, no time to do anything. The ends were already on fire, Hook seconds away from dropping it into the oil." 

"I wouldn't have just burn it." Hook said, seeming to relish what he was saying. "I would have scattered the ashes to the winds, leaving you with nothing to recover." 

Belle flashed him a hostile look, before softening her gaze towards Rumplestiltskin. "I had to do something. That was when Hook offered a deal. A trade..." 

"Belle, no..." What looked to be understanding had dawned in Rumplestiltskin's eyes. 

"There was no other thing I could do...Not if I wanted the scarf saved." 

"You..." Rumplestiltskin shook his head, his eyes no longer quite so angry. "You overly self sacrificing, foolish girl." But the words weren't spoken with a mad heat, Rumplestiltskin simply seeming so sad in the moment. "Don't you know your own worth? Don't you know I would have done anything to spare you this? Even if it meant losing the scarf?" 

She hesitated before speaking. "But Baelfire....everything you've ever done, has been in order to reunite with him. Everything!" 

"I would have found another way." Rumplestiltskin said. "Anything to spare you this pirate's perverse intentions." 

"I resent that, I think." She heard Hook mutter. 

"And what if you couldn't find another way? What then? Would you really be okay with losing your only chance to find your son? Or would you have resented me for not doing everything within my power, to save and get you that scarf?!" Belle asked, staring searchingly at Rumplestiltskin. 

It was telling, the way his eyes shifted away, Rumplestiltskin looking uncomfortable with her questions. "I would have found another way." Was all he would say, all he would insist on just before more hell broke loose. "I would have found a way so you needn't have had to have sex with that pirate!" 

Belle flinched, this time in pain, her own gaze lowering as Hook once again interjected himself into the conversation. "It's more than just sex you know." 

"What does he mean?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "Belle, tell me." 

"I...I didn't know..." She was whispering. "I didn't know just what he meant when he said the deal was for me to become his woman." She brought her left hand over her eyes, brushing at the tears there. "I thought it was just sex..I didn't know....I didn't know!" 

At that point, Rumplestiltskin let out a strangled sound. She looked up in time to see the man launch himself at Hook, his cane easily knocking the sword out of the pirate's hands. Hook was again dropped to the floor, Rumplestiltskin beating him with a clear cut intention to kill. It would be slow, it would be painful, and it would be final, Belle screaming out loud. Protesting, lurching forward, grabbing at Rumplestiltskin's arm. Being half thrown to the ground, before Rumplestiltskin returned to attempting to beat Hook to death. 

"Rumplestiltskin don't!" Belle exclaimed, moving as close to Hook as she could dare. She wasn't about to throw herself on the pirate, but she did move to put herself in the direct line of Rumplestiltskin's sight. Close enough that she lay a hand on both men, relieved when Rumplestiltskin paused. 

"Don't stain your soul on this...on him." Belle said. "Don't let your rage blind you, and make you do something you'll regret." 

"Trust me Belle, killing Hook is not something I'd ever regret." 

"But you would. Not because you'd mourn the man, but that you'd mourn the damage it does to you, to us." Belle retorted. "You're better than this. Prove it to me now, and walk away." 

"You.." Rumplestiltskin was struggling, his hands clenching harder on the cane. "You have no right to ask me this....no right at all." 

She felt as though he had slapped her, Belle letting out an indignant gasp. "No right? After what I did for you, after the bargain that I struck?" 

"It's because of the bargain that you struck!" Rumplestiltskin shouted. "Belle, I could live with the scarf being destroyed. But this? Knowing you are his? This I can't tolerate!" He dropped the cane, and moved to touch her. To take her face in both his hands, and bend over her. His own eyes looking moist, Belle was sure Rumplestiltskin was going to kiss her. 

"Rumple..." She whispered, her hands touching his. 

"I have to kill him." Rumplestiltskin's words made her blood go cold. "It's the only way to set things right. To make this okay between us. If you love me..." 

"IF?!" Belle interjected in disbelief. "How can you even doubt that, after all I've done?" 

"Then you won't interfere. You'll LET me kill him." 

"I can't." Belle trembled in his grip. "It's wrong and you know it. You'll be reverting back, undoing all the change you've undertaken. You'll become something else, someone less worthy of reuniting with your son." 

"Do not try to use Baelfire to save this miserable wretch's life!" Rumplestiltskin said, abruptly letting go of Belle. 

"Then do not try to use my love, my feelings to get me to stand by and let you commit murder!" Belle snapped. "Because it wouldn't justify it, nothing would." 

"Not even if it meant you were free from the bargain you struck?" 

She froze at Rumplestiltskin's question, aware that both men were watching her. Actually waiting for her answer. She took a deep breath, knowing that she wanted to be free of the mistake she had made, that bargain she had struck without properly understanding it. But even as she yearned to be free, of it and of Hook, she knew it wasn't a reason to commit cold blooded murder. 

"Not even for that." Belle admitted, anguished and cringing at the sound of stricken pain Rumplestiltskin had then let out. 

"You were always quick to honor the deals that you made." Rumplestiltskin said with a broken sounding laugh. "Quick to sacrifice yourself for the good of another, and yet all of us have proven unworthy of YOU, Belle." 

And then she was crying, Rumplestiltskin reaching for her, as though to comfort her. But at the last possible second, he drew back, giving her the saddest look she had ever been privileged to see on him. 

"Rumple?" 

He took hold of his cane and rose to his feet without another word, Rumplestiltskin adjusting his jacket. He gave her one last sad look, and then turned away. From where she knelt on the floor, Belle cried out, one arm extending towards him, her hand reaching for a person who had just dismissed her. 

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle cried out, barely aware of the words the two men were exchanging. Hook wasn't attempting to be mocking for once, merely giving over the details of just where the scarf could be found. Rumplestiltskin barely reacted to the news that the scarf was somewhere deep in the harbor, nodding once, then leaving without a backwards glance at Belle. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the part where ya'll will say I'm being too hard on myself. Maybe I am, but I really feel like I didn't do that good a job on this chapter. It was a struggle, and I feel like I can't make it any better than this attempt. T_T Part of it, heck the main complaint is Rumplestiltskin. To me, and this is something I am struggling with with a lot of my Hook Belle fics like Restraint and Taken (though they are not advanced to that part yet.) is how to keep Rumplestiltskin from not getting so crazy that he kills one or both of them. So I feel I guess, like it's almost out of character, or a situation where we all need to suspend our disbelief to believe he walked away without killing somebody. Whether or not he's through with them, is still to be seen of course...but for now all I can say is, I really tried...tried my best...X_X 
> 
> Also glad to have finished this chapter before the big snow storm hits my area. There's worry that when it does, the power will go out! X_X Erg...hope it doesn't. *flails* 
> 
> \---------Michelle


	5. Five

It had almost been anticlimactic, the way that Rumplestiltskin had just gone up and left. Not that Hook wasn't relieved. Not when he had been expecting even more violence, one or all of them dead before the night was through. But cooler heads had prevailed, Belle getting through to Rumplestiltskin. To that spark of goodness she claimed that he still had inside him, somehow making the monster see reason. Frankly Hook was amazed by that, finding it a prime example of the saying that beauty doth soothe the savage beast. 

Not that Rumplestiltskin was in any way calmed. Oh he had put on a good enough show, but Hook could see right through him. Could see the lies that Rumplestiltskin was trying to tell himself, the way that monster had tried to shut down all feeling, to act as if his heart wasn't breaking because of Belle. Because of the bargain she had made, the trade Rumplestiltskin had found absolutely unacceptable. A trade Rumplestiltskin had instantly known and understood was the only way, the monster in no way able to forgive Belle should she have let the scarf be destroyed. 

Oh Rumplestiltskin had tried to lie to them both, but Hook had seen the way the monster had shifted his guilt ridden gaze away at Belle's questions. And from the sad way Belle had reacted, she had seen and known what that avoiding look had meant too. The poor girl really was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Hook having maneuvered things in such a way that Belle wouldn't have been able to make the right choice no matter what. 

Hook supposed that made him as big a bastard as Rumplestiltskin, but he didn't care. Hook was too busy celebrating the fact that he was alive, albeit battered and bruised from all the beatings he had just taken at Rumplestiltskin's hands. And it wasn't like he was any worse off, sustaining a few cuts and bruises, but otherwise fine if winded. His ribs probably weren't even broken, just a bit bruised, maybe even cracked. But he was fine, Hook ready to live, to fight, to love another day. 

Belle on the other hand, looked as though she was suffering worse than Hook. Rumplestiltskin may not have gotten the chance to lay a violent hand on the woman, but the emotional fall out of what had went down, had taken it's toll. The dear girl looked as though she was struggling not to break down, her hand still held out, reaching for someone who was not there. Hook wondered if she was mentally willing Rumplestiltskin to come back for her, but the pirate knew the monster would not. 

Frankly, Hook didn't think Rumplestiltskin would be returning. Not any time soon, if ever at all. The monster was probably off dredging the harbor, searching for his son's scarf. He probably wouldn't allow himself any time to lick the wounds dealt to him by Belle's choice, and most likely his distaste of the results of that choice would keep him from trying to fight for Belle. 

A pity for Rumplestiltskin, but a fortuitous turn for Hook. Because unlike the crocodile, Hook wasn't about to turn Belle aside, no matter the circumstances. Aside from the fact that his keeping of the girl would only twist the dagger deeper into Rumplestiltskin's broken heart, Hook found he LIKED Belle a little more than anticipated. Especially when she continued to impress, not only honoring the bargain she had made, but refusing to allow Rumplestiltskin to free Belle from Hook through the killing of him. 

It spoke of her loyalty, one of the very things Hook wanted from her. Oh she might not be feeling particularly loyal towards Hook, but Belle had enough honor to hold to the bargain at least. It was a step in the right direction. Hook was sure that given enough time, the other qualities he had admired and envied Rumplestiltskin for, would soon be diverted towards him, and him alone. 

All in all, it was proving to be a good day. Wonderful even, despite the beatings. Hook had gotten to relish the effects of his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, even as the monster had tried to shut down his feelings. But more than that, Hook was alive, and actually looking forward to what might come next. Be it Belle in his bed, or the knowing that Rumplestiltskin was continuing to suffer from the loss of that very woman.

 

Of course the one downside was the innocent caught in the crossfire of all this revenge seeking. Belle. She truly looked heart sick, grieving in the moment. She hadn't yet started to cry, but she looked woefully small and pale, trembling besides him. Hook gave her a side long look, Belle seeming unaware of him, as she knelt there waiting. Waiting for a man--a monster who wasn't coming back. Not for her, and not any time soon. 

Hook started to sigh, almost feeling a twinge of guilt over Belle's clear hurt. That breath bought pain flaring, Hook's ribs protesting. Still worth it though, Hook thought, and slowly pushed up off the floor. Belle didn't react to him, not until Hook lay a gentle hand on her bare shoulder. He wasn't sure what emotion he was feeling for her, some kind of pity or empathy most likely. It wasn't nice to have your world turned upside down, your heart hurt in the process. Hook could imagine Belle felt a similar kind of pain to the one he had once felt, the day Rumplestiltskin had so coldly slaughtered Milah. And for that pain, Hook WAS sorry. 

But not sorry enough to let her go, to free her from their bargain. "Belle." He said out loud, managing not to grunt in pain. She didn't immediately react, not until Hook shifted closer to her. He didn't know what the woman thought he was going to do, but suddenly she was shrugging off his hand. 

"Belle?" He questioned, watching as she rose up off her knees. Her hands made sure to check the blanket, to make sure it was still held securely in place around her. "Darling?" 

No spoken answer, Belle moving almost listlessly to his bathroom. He heard her lock the door behind her, but surprisingly, Belle didn't immediately start crying. Hook knelt there on the floor, listening to her move around, no doubt rummaging through the chests and the drawer over the sink. He even heard the splash of water, thinking perhaps Belle was washing her face. 

Hook was worried, but didn't think Belle the type of woman to actually hurt herself. She was stronger than that, having endured time not only as Rumplestiltskin's slave, but as the Evil Queen's prisoner. She would survive this latest difficulty, be all the stronger for it. Not to mention better, Hook thinking a life spent with him was far better than the fates Rumplestiltskin and the Queen Regina had intended for the girl. 

Now to only convince Belle of that, Hook thought, allowing a grimace of pain to cross his face. He'd slowly rise to his feet, actually grabbing onto a nearby table for support. His eyes would assess the room, noting there wasn't much damage, aside from the door, and a part of the wall where Rumplestiltskin's magic has slammed Hook into it. The impact of Hook's body had left the wood damaged, splintered in places. Easy enough to fix, but for now Hook was more interested in numbing his own physical pain. 

He got a hold of the brandy bottle. Not bothering with a glass, Hook collapsed onto the nearest chair. Actually slumping partway, drinking directly from the bottle. He didn't even get to guzzle down half of the brandy, before Belle finally came out of the bathroom. She still looked so pale, so sad, but there was a determination in her movements. Hook sat up straight, watching her warily as she approached him, carrying what looked to be the small first aid kit he kept inside the bathroom's medicine chest. 

"What's this?" Hook wondered out loud. "An angel of mercy approaches?" 

The look Belle gave him wasn't exactly friendly, but she didn't falter in her approach. "You've been hurt." She understated what had happened. 

"That I have, love." Hook agreed. He almost didn't object when she took the brandy from him, setting it aside on the floor. "Your man, Rumplestiltskin, isn't exactly known for his gentleness." 

He almost missed the way she flinched at that. "He was always gentle with me." She murmured. 

"Was he now?" Hook asked, hardly pleased to hear it. "Well I suppose it makes sense. The monster wouldn't want you to see any side of him but the best one possible." 

A withering glare was her response, Belle shaking her head no so hard that her unbound hair had it’s curls bounced over her shoulders. "He let me see the real him." 

"Or what you think was the real him." Hook countered. He chuckled, though the laugh kind of made him hurt in the sides of his body. "Love, face it, he probably never let you see any of his bad sides if he could help it." 

"Why would he do that?" Belle demanded, her expression fierce. "Why would you even think that of him?" 

"It's the only way it makes sense. The only way a woman like you would fall in love with a monster like him." 

"He's not a monster!" Belle protested, and Hook inwardly applauded her passion. 

"Call him whatever you like. But the fact remains he purposefully cultivated your good opinion of him, making sure you never saw what everyone else was privy too." 

"And why would he do that?" Belle demanded. 'Why would he go to so much trouble just to fool his servant." 

"Slave." Hook corrected her. "You were his slave. And why not? You are beautiful. Exceedingly so. Even Rumplestiltskin is not immune to an attractive woman's charms. I bet he enjoyed having you dote your love on him." 

"It wasn't like that." Belle insisted, still too pale to properly color in response to what Hook was saying. "He wasn't even looking for love...." 

"Then what was he looking for?" Hook demanded, with an arch of an eyebrow. When she said nothing, Hook shifted forward in his seat, reaching to touch one of her arms. "Sounds like he wasn't that far from me after all, bargaining for a woman's affection." 

The slap turned his face to the side, Hook's cheek stinging. He probably deserved it, though that was something he'd never admit to out loud. 

"Rumplestiltskin is nothing like you." Belle said, visibly shaking with her anger. "Do not try to pretend otherwise, and do not try to taint my memories of that time I spent with him." 

"Can't taint something if you do not have doubts of your own about it, pet." Hook answered, locking eyes with Belle. "I'm sure you've had plenty of time to think about it, even if you won't admit it out loud." 

"There is nothing to admit." Belle retorted. Hook just smiled in reply, almost laughing when she let out an indignant huff. "You're wrong about him. And about me!" 

"I think I'm very much on the mark, but if it comforts you..." Hook attempted a shrug, then exaggerated the amount of pain he felt, just to see how Belle would react. She didn't quite soften, though her eyes showed just the tiniest bit of worry. 

"Where else are you hurt?" She asked. 

"I've a few scrapes and bruises. But nothing so serious that they can't be kissed better." Her lips pursed together in a disapproving frown, Belle not liking his glib manner of teasing. "Do lighten up, pet." He advised her, then couldn't quite hide the surprise when Belle began attempting to remove his shirt. 

"I admire your eagerness, love." Hook said, chuckling. "If you just give me one moment, I can have us both naked in ten seconds flat." 

Another dirty look, Belle annoyed. "I don't need to be naked for this..." 

"That you don't, but I LIKE looking at you." 

Her gaze now troubled, Belle still managed to glare at him. "I am trying to HELP you." She informed him in a withering tone. 

"Then by all means..." Hook stopped teasing, and helped Belle to slide the shirt up over his head. He then sat back in his seat, watching her face as she stared at him. He felt warm just watching the way Belle's gaze slid over his bare skin, the woman seeming to examine every inch of him, including the dark trail of hair that started low on his navel and disappeared into the waistband of his pants. 

"Seen enough love? Or should I remove these as well?" His hand was already reaching to undo his leather pants, Belle quickly jerking her gaze upwards. 

"Don't bother." Belle said, her tone dry in it's embarrassment. "I've no interest in that part of you." 

"You seem interested enough when I had you on my bed." He managed to catch her wrist this time, when Belle tried to slap him again. 

"I didn't once look and you know it!" Belle hissed, angry. 

"Something to be amended at the first conceivable opportunity." Hook told her, realizing he wanted her to see him. Wanted Belle to do more than just look, but also to touch. To admire him, to participate even more in the sex, Hook having enjoyed what little touching she HAD done before. 

"Now, if you're done fussing over me...." Hook was already trying to reach for her waist, wanting to pull her down onto his lap. 

"Hardly." Belle said, chasing his hand away. "And I'm not fussing, just being practical." She then set to opening the first aid kit, finding the antiseptic liquid, and pouring a generous amount on a white cloth. Hook braced himself, and still hissed when the cleansing liquid touched the cut over his eye, the ripped flesh stinging in sharp pain. 

Belle's lips seemed to twitch, as though she was hiding a smirk at the way he reacted to the pain. A pain she was causing, even if it was being done to help tend to the worst of his injuries. Hook managed to hold his tongue for the next swipe of the wet cloth, watching Belle as she studiously devoted herself to cleaning his wounds. 

It was actually kind of nice, Hook realized, to have Belle playing his nurse. Even if her concern had nothing to do with him, Belle more interested in using Hook as a distraction from the pain she herself was feeling. He didn't mind being that distraction, preferring her eyes be focused on him, rather than full of tears that fell over that wretch, Rumplestiltskin. 

So he tried to behave, sitting as relaxed as he could be, considering she had put the cloth away, and was now running her hands over him. Hook watched her through hooded eyes. seeing the determined look in her blue gaze, envying the way thick ringlets of curls brushed the bare skin of her shoulders. 

His eyes drew to the way she moistened her lips, Belle's fingers holding a tremble to them as she caressed the tips of them over the front of his throat. The frown she unwittingly gave him, let Hook know Belle was troubled by the bruises she had found there. The bruises they both knew had been made by Rumplestiltskin's cane, that black and blue flesh a stark reminder of how close that monster had come to crushing Hook's windpipe. 

Hook wasn't nice enough to lie and say it wasn't as bad as it looked, or pretend that he hadn't come close to being brutally killed at Rumplestiltskin's hands. Instead, he held himself still, enduring the tentative caress before Belle seemed to gain hold of herself, and attempted to pull away. Hook quickly caught hold of her right hand, guiding it to his side, where his grimace wasn't all feigned. 

"What do you think, love?" Hook asked her. "How much damage is there?" 

Belle didn't immediately start trying to feel up his ribs, her gaze locked with his. Whatever thoughts she was having, they obviously disturbed her. Hook could tell by the look in her blue eyes. 

"He....He didn't break anything." Belle said, when she finally began moving her hand over his side. Her left hand touched him too, Belle touching firmly and surely over his ribs. He couldn't help but react to her touches, Hook enjoying her soft hands stroking over his skin. It was nice to be the focus of Belle's attention, to have someone, anyone, actually care for him. Especially a woman like Belle, who was taking seriously her attempts to tend to the injuries that she could. 

It had been too long, Hook realized. Too long since he let anyone near him, too long since he had had anyone to care, or even to pretend to care about what happened to him. It was a nice sensation to lose one self to, Hook thinking it was almost worth going through another beating, to be treated this way again. 

Hook was in effect starved for affection. For a woman's tenderness and care. It had been years since Milah had been killed. Years since he had let a woman close enough to him for anything other than a quick tumble among the bed sheets. And now he HAD a woman, and not only was she caring for him, but Hook realized he had a future to look forward to. A future with Belle, no matter where their paths might ultimately lead to. 

He wasn't expecting another Milah. Never that! Belle wasn't meant to be a replacement, instead existing as a tool for his revenge. A tool he enjoyed, and might even grow fond of. And she him, if Belle could only let go of her own doubts and suffering. 

Feeling like the future was brighter than he had ever anticipated, Hook smiled at Belle. She pretended not to notice, more focusing on pulling a binding tape tight around his torso. He let her tape up his sides, giving his battered ribs some much needed additional support. But more so than that, he enjoyed the view of her bent over him, Hook staring down into the valley of her cleavage, a sight that was barely being covered by the bed sheet around her. In fact he could see just a hint on one sweet nipple, Hook wetting his own lips as if in anticipation of brushing them over it. 

Mere seconds later, he stopped thinking about her breasts, and actually moved to do something. Gripping her waist with his hand, pulling Belle off balance so that she tumbled down into his lap. 

"Hook!" She exclaimed, in startled dismay. But he was already kissing over her cleavage, mouth hungry and laving attention all over the top part of her breasts. Belle's shifting only made her situation worse, the bed sheet starting to unravel, to slip down and expose her breasts more fully. 

Hook was most definitely appreciative of the sight, his mouth working double time to pay equal attention to both nipples revealed. It was an impossible task he set before him, the two destined to be neglected in his quest to worship both at the same time. He finally muttered a curse filled oath under his breath, before happily settling on the right nipple. 

Already it and the other had ripened like berries, little stiff protrusions of flesh Hook delighted in touching. Belle was making protests, shifting against him and putting her hands on both his shoulders. Hook growled when Belle tried to shove free of him, his arms around her waist holding her prisoner on him. 

Gasping, Belle then tried to reason with him. "Hook don't, your ribs..." 

"Will be just fine." Hook insisted, right before he began a determined laving of his tongue on her flesh. Even as Belle made a muffled sound, she tried to argue. Pointing out that this was too vigorous an activity for his ribs to endure. He didn't immediately answer, too busy doing a repeated flickering of his tongue to her nipple. 

"Hook!" 

He really liked his pirate's name on her lips, even if it was being said in strangled annoyance. One more flicker of his tongue, and then Hook focused enough to actually speak without growling. 

"This can be done as long as we're careful." 

"Careful?" Belle's expression of doubting disbelief, could be read in several ways. Ultimately Hook decided that she didn't have any faith in his ability to hold back and do a careful love making. 

"Just follow my lead, love..." Hook said, shifting her in his arms. Belle's expression only turned more troubled, Hook cupping one of her breasts. Kneading it, and mourning the fact he only had one hand in which to do this with. "We'll go about this nice and slow, gentle even." 

"Slow and gentle? You?" 

Hook hid a smile with a kiss on her shoulder. "Don't be so surprised, love. There's many ways to do this, and while I'm not yet an expert, I do know more than a few." 

"It was not your knowledge in this that I was casting doubt on." Belle managed to mutter. She then colored at the sound of his laugher, Hook downright grinning at her. Belle tried to explain, but anything she attempted to say only made the situation worse, until Hook slowly silenced her with a kiss. 

As amusing as it was to see Belle flustered, there was a sobering reality in her observations. Was Hook capable of holding back, even injured? Or would he be all over her, just as hands on enthusiastic and vigorous as the first time? It really depended on his partner, and Belle was as sexy and erotic as they could be. Surprisingly so, the woman exciting him to new depths of desire, his blood boiling over with lust for her. For Belle, the woman an unexpected treasure he had been given. 

"There's only one way to find out." Hook spoke out loud, after pulling back from the kiss. He brushed his lips over the line of her jaw, his tone husky as he spoke words that made Belle shiver. "Let's go back to bed." 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I'm liking this chapter much more than the previous one. To a point anyway. First it surprised me, cause originally I imagined Belle being pretty quiet, silently thinking thoughts and trying not to mope as she distracted herself with tending to Hook's injuries. But I like how the talking, the conversations happened, so yay! 
> 
> I do kinda feel like the little bit of naughty isn't that good here at the end. I'll blame that on I got very sleepy by the end of this chapter, and it was like....do I keep writing, or stop for sleep. Aw man.....I kinda didn't want another sex scene this soon detailed, so now I am debating if I will do another intimate scene (Which is tempting, what with Hook wanting Belle to look at him!) or go with what I thought would happen, and be a Belle POV on a new day. We shall see what I decide tomorrow. 
> 
> Also...too tired right now, but I've been fighting new ideas. Well rather the return of two ideas I had a few weeks ago. Tonight's new episode, made me think about them. maybe cause I was disappointed by the lack of Belle Hook interactions in the show. I had an idea that Hook and Belle (who still doesn't know who she really is) escape from the hospital together. Tonight's episode only fueled it. The other idea, which I don't know how it could work for Hook and Belle, is well...I've been thinking on a story where Hook kills Rumplestiltskin, and finds out the price of that action. He becomes the new Dark One! :O 
> 
> But I'm feeling too groggy to write, and really been resisting starting a new idea. Was hoping to get more written today, but then I kinda slacked off. Wanted to get restraint or broken heart new chapters written, but this fic keeps demanding one more chapter written before the ideas will calm down and let me work on a different fic. Oh boy. XD But it's fun for the most part! 
> 
> \----------Michelle


	6. Six

His battered ribs wouldn't allow him the chance to carry Belle to his bed a second time. Hook had had to settle for holding her hand, leading her forward though he had kept stopping to kiss and to touch her. It had been more than just an attempt to stop any protests Belle might have made, Hook having wanted, NEEDED to touch her. To keep on stealing kisses and touches of her soft skin, his pain momentarily forgotten as anticipation built within him. 

And now here they were, perched on the edge of the bed, twisted somewhat to face each other. Belle was already flustered, her skin losing much of it's paleness, to allow a faint blush that was spreading. She would become even pinker the more Hook did, his hand pausing briefly to cup her blushing cheek. Belle's eyes briefly flicked towards his, but it seemed the look that he gave her, the heat in his gaze, was too much for her. Certainly she didn't try to hold his gaze, quickly lowering that of her own. 

That wouldn't do, Hook wanting her eyes on him. Wanting Belle to be more than just aware of him, but to acknowledge him. "Belle, pet...LOOK at me." 

Another quick flicker of the blue, and then Belle was shaking her head no. He almost sighed then, wondering if she was really that shy or if Belle was purposefully being defiant at what Hook thought of as such a simple request. 

"Darling...." 

"I can't bear it." She finally whispered, her voice so soft that he had to strain to make out the words. He kept on brushing her cheek, patiently waiting for her to go on, waiting for another upwards flick of her eyes. 

"What can't you bear?" He finally asked, and wonders of wonders, her cheeks did blossom a darker pink. 

"The way that you look at me." 

It was a somber smile that he then gave her, though she hadn't looked up to see it. Hook was aware of how he stared at her, the way the desperate, needy hunger that he felt for her, peered out through his eyes. Hook didn't think it was necessarily an unpleasant thing, to be the subject of his intense regard, the pirate unable to hide just how much Belle had enthralled him with her every action. 

"Can't help it, love." Hook said to her. "You fascinate me." 

"Fascinate?" Her surprise at that earned him another quick look, Belle not understanding. "How? Why?" 

Hook wondered if it was even possible to answer that without giving offense, without upsetting Belle further. Hook instinctively knew he'd get slapped if he admitted he found her far more sexy and erotic than first looks would have led him to believe, even though that was the truth. Hook HAD thought her a beautiful, if prudish being, never coming close to imagining the passion that lay hidden underneath the many layers of her clothing. 

"You've just proven to be a surprise." He finally settled on. "I'm discovering new facets to you, new layers of passion and appeal." She began frowning, Hook caressing his thumb over her bottom lip. "Take your reactions in bed." 

"What about my reactions?" The frown hadn't left her, Belle distinctly displeased. 

"You try to hide from what you're feeling, to deny the pleasure I make you feel." 

"You do not make me feel pleasure!" Belle snapped, then colored, probably realizing she was denying it exactly like he had just said. "It was a bodily reaction, it has nothing to do with what I'm feeling inside, what I think, what I HATE about this." 

He inwardly flinched at the way she keenly voiced the word hate. Hook didn't like nor wanted to think about Belle hating being with him, trying to shove aside that bit of unpleasantness. Trying to tell himself there would come a time when Belle wouldn't object quite so vehemently to what he was doing, that she would come to accept him, maybe even like him. 

But not love, Hook thought. He didn't think Belle could ever come to feel that strongly for him. Not even if he proved to her how much better her life would be, with Hook at her side rather than Rumplestiltskin. 

"Hate is such a strong word, darling." Hook murmured out loud. 

"Doesn't lessen the truth of it." She countered. 

"Is it me that you so abhor?" Hook asked, sincerely wanting to know. 

"I..." A sigh then. "I don't hate you. I don't know you well enough to truly feel much of anything. It's this situation that's the problem. This having to be with you, when I love another." 

"Ah, that." 

"Yes that!" She snapped at him, her gaze lifted towards his, and flashing with a burst of annoyance. 

"It'll get easier, love. In time..." 

"I don't WANT it to get easier!" She cried out plaintively. "I don't want it to ever get to that point, where I could accept what is happening, the choices that I have made, the hurt that I've done to myself and to Rumplestiltskin as well!" 

"You're only setting yourself up to be spending a lifetime of pain and regret, if you don't try to adapt. If you don't accept the deal that you did make, the fact that it's ME in your bed, and not that monster." 

Hook saw her shiver at that, Belle actually letting a second pass by before protesting. Insisting that Rumplestiltskin wasn't a monster. Hook could only smile wryly at her, taking hold of her hand and pressing it over one of the many bruises on his face. 

"He was angry." She said, as if that excused Rumplestiltskin. "He thought you had raped me." 

"Ah but it wasn't rape, was it? Not when you agreed." Hook said. 

"I didn't agree for your sake." Belle was fierce. "I did it for him. For Rumple to have the chance to be able to go and find his son." 

"Ah yes, and he was ever so grateful for that." Hook's tone was dry, almost sarcastic. 

Belle didn't seem to know how to respond to that, looking down once more. 

"Love." Hook began kissing over the palm of her hand. "Don't even waste you breath on a wretch like Rumplestiltskin. He was never truly worthy of a woman like you. You only hurt yourself in thinking otherwise." 

"And I suppose you think you're worthy enough of me?" Belle demanded angrily. 

"Oh love, I know I'm NOT." That surprised her, Belle looking up with such a shocked expression it was all Hook could do to keep from laughing. "I'm a wicked and sinful man. I've plundered and killed, manipulated and tirelessly sought revenge. My hand is dirty, not fit to touch someone as pure hearted as you." 

He gave her an absolutely wicked smile, letting go of her hand so that he could cup one of her heavy breasts. "But touch you I shall. For I am a greedy, take what he wants, pirate. And what this pirate wants is you, Belle." 

Her breath had hitched in her throat at his words, her eyes looking a little wet. Hook began kneading her breast, fingers manipulating her soft flesh both to serve as a distraction and because he liked handling her. 

"You don't want me." Belle finally said. She flushed darker at the disbelieving look that he gave her. "You just want the revenge on Rumplestiltskin I represent to you." 

He didn't bother to correct her. Not when Hook knew Belle wouldn't believe, wouldn't want to acknowledge the fact that this was more than just revenge. Belle seemed incapable of believing in her own appeal, as though ignorant of the kind of quality woman she truly was. Acting as though Hook couldn't want her for her, for Belle's many attractive traits, the least of which was her beauty. And yes, part of it WAS revenge. Hook would have most likely never have given Belle a second thought if she hadn't been involved with Rumplestiltskin. 

The fact remained that she had been, Hook stressing the past tense of Belle's relationship with Rumplestiltskin. And as much as Hook hated that monster, he could admire Rumplestiltskin's taste in women. Both Milah and Belle far too appealing, and far better off with someone, anyone other than the crocodile. 

Even someone like Hook, whose heart had long since rotted, just like Belle had said it had. Ruined though he was, Hook wasn't incapable of feeling. The feelings just got twisted in his head, everything tainted by his own driving need for revenge. Belle represented the culmination of years of questing, Hook's being with her the ultimate in any revenge that he could take on the monster. Was it any wonder when added to that, her sexiness and appeal, that it made Hook just about crazed. For her if not about her? 

Things didn't seem that complicated to Hook. He was attracted to Belle, and could easily grow to be fond of her. More than that, Hook thought he could be happy, especially given the fact that his life spent with her would only torture Rumplestiltskin more completely. Perhaps the monster's heart, which had already broken, would blow apart completely. Maybe he would even wither away and die from his grief. Whatever the case, Hook felt like he was having the last laugh, finally triumphing over Rumplestiltskin. 

That giddiness he felt was translating into how Hook now touched Belle. His arm reached around her, his hook pressing the blunt curve into the small of her back. Holding her still, or at least attempting to, given the fact Belle was still squirming about. His good hand was touching her, stroking the side of one plump breast. It was a tickling kind of caress he used, Hook staring at Belle, growing further aroused at watching her fitful shifting. 

Hook had a feeling he'd never grow tired of watching her, of seeing the many erotic ways that she moved. She was just that sexy to him, a delight, a feast for all five senses, even that of smell. The flowers that made up her shampoo, while not ones he was capable of identifying, lent her hair a pleasant aroma. Hook wouldn't have minded rubbing his face in her hair, surrounding himself with that flowery scent. Hell, he wanted to rub all over her, until Hook was aware of nothing but Belle and the desire that he felt for her. 

A desire he was working to make her FEEL, Hook continuing his caressing. Sliding his hand under her breast, cupping and lifting it as he bent over it. His breath blowing on her nipple seemed to spark a reaction, the flesh crinkling just a little. His tongue then being dragged across that sensitive spot, made several things happen at once, Belle crying out, trying to jerk back as her nipple began to stiffen further. 

God, but he couldn't help himself, Hook fastening his lips onto her. Holding her prisoner against him, making Belle wild even as she struggled and failed to twist free. Watching her as he did this, seeing the frustrated look she was giving him slowly being eaten up and replaced by lust and arousal. It wasn't enough, Hook wanting her crazy, aching with need. Hook wanted her to burn so badly for him, that Belle would stop trying to get away, stop fighting her own reactions, and actually accept them and him. Maybe then she would do more than try to push him away. Maybe then she would touch him, Hook excited just by the thought of Belle's hands and mouth caressing on his body. 

On some level he knew it wasn't an entirely realistic desire. Belle didn't really want Hook. And no amount of teasing and stimulation would make her forget that, not now, not this early in their newly developing relationship. Hook knew about being patient, had made an art of waiting for just the right moment, years passing by before he could even come close to achieving his long sought after revenge. He'd have to call on that same patience and strength, bide his time until Belle came to accept the situation and him. No matter how badly he wanted her, Hook had to face the facts. She wouldn't be running her hands all over him the way he was now doing to her. The best Hook could hope for, was a skittish touch, Belle perhaps clinging to him at the height of her passion. 

She wasn't yet there, wasn't yet out of control. Her moans weren't yet coming, Belle managing to hold in her voice except for that startled moment when his lips had first latched on so greedily to her breast. She kept right on pursing her lips together, quivering with the effort to hold back her cries. Her hands kept lifting, stopping just short of touching him. Most likely she wanted to push him away, Belle struggling to uphold her half of the bargain. It was almost astounding, how honorable that she was, almost shocking that Belle would go this far, that she wouldn't tell him no. Not that Hook thought himself capable of stopping if she did. Not now that he had had her, had discovered just how wild she made HIM. 

Wild enough that Hook didn't care that his sides hurt, that his ribs protested when he lifted Belle up, placing her securely on his lap. He had had to let go of her breast to do that, kissing her mouth instead, his hand gliding down her flat stomach and lower yet. To fit between her tightly clenched thighs, Hook getting his hand to squeeze between them before Belle gave up and let them fall apart. Not wide, but just enough that Hook could comfortable touch her there, his fingers ready to manipulate her flesh into a wet throbbing invitation. 

Belle made the slightest of sounds at Hook's finger's tickling touch, one of her legs bending. He increased the pressure of his touch, fingers more firm and sure rather than the light caress he had started with. She made another sound, Hook eating it up, coaxing her tongue to move with his. Shy, faltering at first, her tongue grew bolder the more he touched between her legs, until Belle was fully participating into the kiss without Hook having to prod her. She still didn't try to touch him though, Hook having to settle for the feel of the side of her body pressing against his front, the weight of her bottom on his lap as she began to wiggle in time to his fingers' movements. 

Her hips began to move, to lift up, the weight of her gone. She wasn't able to keep still, holding herself up one moment, then lowering herself back onto him. Only to repeat that rising, a low keening sound escaping her, the kiss broken as Belle let her head loll back on his shoulder. Hook watched her, brushing a kiss over her temple, before taking in the whole of her. The word magnificent came to mind, as Belle rocked and bounced against his hand. Her eyes were half closed, her blush in full bloom, Belle making low whining sounds that only further served to heighten Hook's own excitement. 

By the fifth time she lifted up off his lap, his cock was trying to follow, straining against the leather confines of his pants. He literally couldn't get them open fast enough, having to shift Belle, practically throwing her down on the pillows as he pulled open the fastenings of his pants. It would take time to get them off completely, precious moments he didn't want to waste on anything but being inside Belle. Hook wasn't even thinking about the best way to go about this, the best way to avoid aggravating his rib's bruised condition. He merely wanted Belle, wanted the connection of their bodies, trusting the pleasure to be more intense than any of the pain that he could possibly feel. 

He bent over her, touching her face briefly. Kissing her, even as he moved to position himself between her legs. Their tongues flickered together, tips touching and rubbing each other. And then the tip of him was sliding, gliding over her wet sex. The head of him actually rubbed over her clit, Belle gasping into their kiss. He rubbed again, and the woman positively melted against him, sinking more deeply into the pillows with Hook following after her. Their chests touched, Belle's stiff little nipples rubbing over him with each breath she took. Hook kissed her again, taking possession of her mouth and her body, his hand on her hip as he started to thrust inside her. 

He was met by welcoming heat, Belle pleasantly hot inside. Burning in a way that felt so good, too good, Hook moaning and fearing he wouldn't be able to last. Not with the heat and her silken insides coiling around him, making it a struggle to get in deeper. Belle was almost TOO tight, Hook's fingers digging into her hip, hauling her against him. Making her whole body bounce as he took firm seat inside her up to the root of him. And then she WAS touching him, her hands almost lazy as they caressed the length of his arms. Hook could have spilled right then and there, reacting that strongly to that touch of hers. 

It would only grow worse, the need to come, Belle continuing to caress, her breasts moving against his chest, her knees lifting, rubbing over his sides. It was a sensual delight, Hook starting to sweat, almost forgetting the pain of his ribs completely as he attempted to thrust a frantic, fast pace. That was a mistake, even as Belle cried out, the rippling flesh around him signaling she had climaxed. A sharp spike of pain was Hook's own reward, the man fighting not to grimace as he realize he really would have to be gentle this time. 

It was a struggle, one that went against his every impulse, Hook wanting to pound into Belle as hard as he could. As hard as he dared, wanting that pleasant ache of sore hips that came later when the highs of love making had faded away. Instead Hook forced himself to go slow, to do a downright sedate rhythm, lazily making love to Belle. 

He let go of her hip, putting hand and hook on either side of her. Holding himself up above her by several inches, enough that he could look down and gaze at the point of their connection. Watching as slowly, inch by inch he disappeared inside her, only to reappear seconds later, and moving just as slow. It was fascinating, an honest marvel to think her small body could take something of that size. It was amazing, it was humbling, Hook briefly pulling out. Making Belle cry out in a strangled voice of surprise, Hook pressing his lips over her sex. Kissing there as thanks, practically worshipping her flesh and the marvel that it was, Belle wiggling, her body quivering, stomach undulating with every exaggerated breath that she took. 

Not lifting his mouth, he glanced up her body. She was gazing down at him, her eyes almost feverishly bright. None of her earlier tension or anxiety was in her, Belle merely existing for the pleasure he was now giving her. Her legs shifted, pressing tight against him, her feet being rubbed over his sides. Hook reveled in that unasked for touch, his tongue busy, buried inside her. Seeking out and getting the creamy proof of her desire, Hook letting Belle lightly bounce against his mouth several times before he abruptly pulled back. 

With her juices glistening on his mouth and chin, Hook kissed her again. Letting her get a good taste of what he had enjoyed, Hook already moving to place his cock back inside her. Moving his hips, doing his own slow undulation as Belle let her head fall back on the pillow with a soft cry. And then he was pressing against her, his butt clenching as he went in deep, his arms wrapping around her. Hook lavished attention on her throat, her skin muffing his own fevered groans, as he worked his hips, doing a quick grind that barely took him out of her before Hook was pushing back in. 

He didn't last much longer than that, too aroused, too simulated. Especially when Belle hugged him back, her hands doing caressing circles over his shoulder blades. It was because of that touch, that Hook gave himself permission to come, growling softly at first then ending in a shout at the intensity of his own climax. 

By the time it was over, and Hook had been drained of seed and energy, he was kissing Belle again, thanking her. As his hips slowed to a stop, Belle's hands ceased their caressing motion. For one second she just held him, Hook listening to the sound of their heavy breaths mingling. And then abruptly, she dropped her hands to her sides, leaving Hook to feel abandoned by her as Belle tried to shut down over what had just happened. She wouldn't look at him, fixing her gaze instead at some point up at the ceiling. Trying to ignore him, which he refused to allow, Hook running his hand over the length of her body. He wouldn't pull out of her, though he would shift them into a different position, one that wouldn't force Belle to endure his weight on her for the remaining hours of the night. 

And like that they would remain, Hook stubbornly determined to make Belle feel him. To force her to be aware of him at all hours of the night, to make it so she couldn't NOT think about him, whether awake or dreaming. It was crazy, it was insane, Hook wanting Belle to acknowledge him beyond what he was doing, and beyond the sex that they had just had. He didn't want her shutting down, didn't want Belle turning cold the instant the sex was over. And Hook didn't care if had to be cruel to keep that from happening.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....Okay, I had finished this chapter earlier. Or rather I had finished A version earlier. But I wasn't very happy with it. I was suffering tiredness all day, even with naps, so I think I wasn't in a good frame of mind to write smut. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. It didn't have much thought or feeling, being more like describing just the sex and not what Hook thought about everything. So I ended up trashing that version. I kept the first 8 KB before the sex started, which I was and still am happy with. It was right after the point where he didn't try to correct her on Belle saying Hook only sees her for the revenge she represents. Everything after that got completely rewritten, and in my not so humble opinion, is so much better! Yay! 
> 
> And yes, next chapter WILL be a Belle POV. But probably need to get more than a nap in before I can try to tackle that. Still wish I could have written more today. But I feel glad I got this rewritten to be something I can accept and be happy about! Phew! 
> 
> \----Michelle


	7. Seven

Belle spent the remainder of the night, in a kind of sexual daze, what felt like hour after hour devoted to the pirate's near insatiable appetite. To his every carnal desire and impulse, Hook ready and willing to act on every wicked thought he had ever had, the man seeming to care little about sparing Belle's own sensibilities. Pushing Belle to her limits and then some, thoroughly exhausting the woman and himself in the process, and yet still trying for more. 

It left Belle with little time to think, let alone time to truly feel. It left her existing in an odd state, Belle somewhere between a numbness of the soul and that of her body's sexual ecstasy. Suffering from it, the shame, the humiliation, and the reluctant, unwanted kind of pleasure at Hook's hands. 

It was a vicious, relentless cycle, Belle feeling worse the more pleasure she was made to feel, her every climax bringing her closer to breaking down completely. She felt abused, felt worse than if Hook had merely used her for his own satisfaction. Belle felt betrayed, her body becoming her worst enemy, it's sensitivity her undoing. 

It left her feeling out of control, helpless. Left her writhing in a kind of mindless ecstasy even as Belle was all too aware of the pirate's eyes on her. His greedy gaze seemed to drink in her every expression, her every wriggling movement. Even when those ashamed tears were prickling at her eyes, Hook had stared at her. His own blue gaze dark and hungry, burning with a heat that was scorching. 

It was really too much for Belle to withstand, the woman wanting to hide from Hook's eyes. From the way he continued to watch her with open appreciation, wearing that damnable smirk that spoke of just how much Hook enjoyed the reactions he got from her. It was shaming, it was belittling, and most of all it was SCARY. Terrifying to be the focus of such a man. Frightening to reveal such a side of herself to a man who wasn't even the one that Belle loved. 

Nor was Hook in love with Belle. There was nothing between them, the two all but strangers despite all the sex they had had. And no amount of it, or of Hook's desperate attempts, could force it to be otherwise, even as the pirate seemed determined to force a bond between them. Trying for an intimacy he had no right to, despite what Belle had unwittingly agreed to. Attempting to give meaning to it, to make it more than just sex, or so Belle believed. The woman knew she could be fooling herself, could be putting false meaning to Hook's actions. For all Belle knew, maybe he was just naturally oversexed, and acting accordingly to his libido. 

But still it was hard. Difficult to endure, and even more so to believe. Having to put up with his touches, his caresses, his mouth kissing all over her body. Hook didn't half at it with the sex, he put all his focus and energy into the act, making Belle wonder just how much more intense things could be if he had had some ounce of real feeling for her. But Belle didn't think she could stand any more than what had already happened, the depth of focus and feeling Hook had already shown her. 

It was made worse by the fact he wouldn't stop touching her. Even after he spent himself inside her, Hook kept on the attack, relentless in his attempts to pleasure Belle senseless. Leaving her exhausted, drifting in and out of sleep, to the feel of his hand on her body. As unsettling as that was, it was worse the sham of intimacy that the acts tried to replicate. The way Hook made her so damn aware of him, both outside and in. 

It was why Belle felt an immense relief to awaken in an empty bed. To finally find the pirate gone, the bed already growing cold besides her. And yet disorientation lingered, Belle having grown so used to the near constant attention, she almost felt empty from the lack of it. She certainly felt cold, huddling deeper under the blankets then nearly jolted upright with the uneasy realization that the pirate had taken the time to cover her before he had left. 

Belle wasn't quite sure why Hook had bothered. And aside from the initial surprise, she didn't feel moved by his gesture of kindness. Not after the night she had had, Belle spoiled but not in a good way. Her entire body felt lethargic, downright exhausted from all the activity of the past few hours. Parts of her felt sore, a dull ache that wouldn't have been entirely unpleasant if it had been Rumplestiltskin who had been the cause. 

And then the floodgates were opening, Belle giving into her tears. To her own grief and exhaustion, Belle burying her face against a pillow. Reeling with regrets, with her doubts and insecurities, and most of all mourning over the things she had lost. The immense price she had paid for making a desperate split decision when both choices had been equally unappealing. Equally devastating, Belle understanding that she would have lost Rumplestiltskin no matter what course she could have chosen, only one delivering the break up all the sooner than the other. 

Of course they would have tried to pretend otherwise. Belle and Rumplestiltskin would have tried to keep the relationship together, to keep the love going even as the man's hopes at reuniting with his son, were dashed. Belle knew Rumplestiltskin would have kept trying, would have turned to stronger and stronger magic, trying enchantments, potions, even curses. Anything that might get him one step closer to his son. But she was just as certain he would have failed, Belle remembering how hard it had been for Rumplestiltskin to make even that much potion to enchant a single item. A feat Rumplestiltskin had been sure he wouldn't be able to replicate, the man pinning all his hopes on the one item he could enchant. 

Belle knew Rumplestiltskin would have eventually cracked under disappointment, as all his magic and power failed him. And once the realization sunk in, once Rumplestiltskin understood that all his endeavors had been for not, that he wouldn't be finding his son, he would have hated her. Would have despised her, and the poor choice she had made. And though Rumplestiltskin had tried to deny it, she had seen the truth of it in his eyes. The truth that made her weep harder because the man valued his son even more than he did her. 

It had hurt to realize that, even as a part of her had already suspected that. She may not have known Rumplestiltskin's reasons at the time, but years later? When he had finally told her about his son, explained that it had been all for Baelfire's sake that Rumplestiltskin had amassed such power, made such twisted deals, and an even worse curse? It had been what finally led to an understanding, Belle finally knowing just why Rumplestiltskin had panicked so at the power her kiss had held. Why he had not wanted to be free of his curse, the man clinging to his magic and power all the harder, rejecting Belle so that he could one day finally be with his son. 

She had understood this, and STILL loved him. Belle had contented herself to come in second in Rumplestiltskin's heart. She had told herself it was enough, that she didn't mind Baelfire coming first in nearly everything Rumplestiltskin chose to do. She might even have lied to herself and hoped that things would change once Baelfire WAS found, that maybe then Rumplestiltskin would finally be free to obsess about her instead of just his son. 

But all chance of finding out if that could have come true, had been ruined the instant Hook had presented her with that awful choice. That so called deal that hadn't really been one, Belle feeling boxed in, making a split second decision to cast aside all her hopes and dreams, in order to secure Rumplestiltskin's. She didn't regret being so self sacrificing. It was simply in her nature to put the interests of others before her own. Be it Rumplestiltskin, the people of her father's kingdom, or even that cursed prince who had once begged her to show him mercy. 

Self sacrificing as she was, Belle couldn't help but wish for a show of gratitude. Some sign of appreciation from the man that she loved, letting her know it was okay, even if the act she had done was not easily tolerated. But she wasn't going to get any of that, Rumplestiltskin flat out having told her how he couldn't stand even the thought of what she had done. Emphasizing just how unappetizing her two choices had been, and Rumplestiltskin acting as if the only way things could possibly be set right was if Belle had allowed him to kill Hook. 

Her refusal to allow Rumplestiltskin to go even deeper in debt to the darkness in his soul, only upset the man further. He couldn't seem to understand why Belle wouldn't allow him this much, and in that moment, he hadn't seem particular fond of her sense of honor. Though he had proclaimed them all unworthy of Belle, of her choices and her sacrifices, it hadn't stopped Rumplestiltskin from leaving. Hadn't stopped him from shutting off all feeling, Rumplestiltskin going so far as to not even cast one last look back at Belle. Did he think it was a clean break, that it would be less painful for them both if he just left? It wasn't, at least not for her, Belle unable to not think about Rumplestiltskin and all that had happened without the turbulence of her emotions. 

Belle didn't want things to have ended this way, but didn't know how, IF she could fix them. Certainly she couldn't set things right so long as Hook was stubbornly clinging to the bargain he had made her. A bargain that forced Belle to be the means to his revenge, Hook not at all content to hurt Rumplestiltskin merely one time. Belle knew as long as she was forced to be with Hook, to play at being the pirate's woman, Rumplestiltskin would be hurting. And so would Belle, the woman wanting to be with the man that she loved, and not with Hook. 

But short of Hook losing interest in his revenge, how could Belle ever hope to be free of the bargain? She didn't know, and that left her colder than ice, Belle shivering under the blankets. Wondering if she was doomed to forever be in Hook's bed, and feeling as if the longer that she stayed with the pirate, the less chance she had of reuniting with Rumplestiltskin. 

None of this was what she would have wanted. Nor was it anything Belle had ever imagined for herself, once she had made the decision to go with Rumplestiltskin all those years ago. Even as Belle had agreed to be his slave, she had felt as though she was seizing hold of her destiny. Turning her back on arranged marriages and the role her father would have her play. 

Now she was back, forced into an assigned role through her own decisions. Trapped as Hook's woman, and holding not an ounce of real feeling for the man, despite what he tried to do with her. She felt miserable, Belle unable to stop wallowing in that feeling. Crying under the blanket, and eventually inside the bathroom's surprisingly modern shower. 

It felt good to get clean, or at least it did until she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Belle's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the kiss marks that covered her neck and collar. She had similar marks on the inside of her thighs, and even one over her right breast. Hook had not been shy about branding his lip's mark on her body, that was for damn sure. 

Cheeks an angry red, Belle hurried out of the bathroom. She'd search out and attempt to pull on her clothing, the sight of her torn pantyhose almost bringing her to tears once more. Angry, Belle would brush at her eyes, then resume buttoning up her blouse. She'd be looking for her shoes, when Hook walked into the room, the pirate carrying a covered something and smiling. 

Belle shot daggers at him with the fierceness of her glare, and still the pirate's mood didn't suffer. He merely set down the tray, and walked over to her, attempting to kiss a hello out of her. 

"Cheer up pet." He was saying, catching her around the waist. "I've gone and made you something to eat." 

For one instant she let her surprise show, Belle momentarily forgetting to glare at Hook. "You cook?" 

"I can manage a thing or two." Hook admitted. "I've had to, since losing my crew to the curse." 

Belle WAS curious, but refused to take the hint to ask the pirate more about himself. Hook's smile didn't falter, the man offering up a small tidbit of information to her, almost like a peace offering. "I'm afraid that her highness Cora knew NOTHING about preparing food. For all her alchemy and potion brewing, if it wasn't magic, she just couldn't manage." 

Belle knew from her time with Rumplestiltskin, that making potions and enchantments was similar to mixing ingredients for a meal. It was magic that made all the difference, that gave the added boost to make a brew an enchantment. And just like Cora, Rumplestiltskin hadn't bothered to do much if any food cooking, especially not with Belle on hand to serve him night and day. 

But she didn't offer up that information to Hook, just staring and maintaining her silence. Hook's smile seemed to falter for one second, and then he was shrugging. "I suppose in the future you'll want to be in charge of the meals. Don't worry, the kitchen's well stocked with goodies from our land." 

That ALMOST got Belle to speak, the woman intrigued despite herself. As good as the food was in this realm, there were things the two worlds did not share. Delicacies she would have given almost anything to taste again, including a certain pudding that had been a speciality of her father's kingdom. 

And then she remembered she was upset, that she was angry and sad, and downright depressed. Belle pursed her lips together in refusal, trying to hold her ground as Hook attempted to lead her over to the table. 

"Come, love." Hook said in a coaxing voice. "Don't you want to see what I've got for you?" 

Belle shook her head no, giving him more politeness than she felt Hook had a right to. "No, thank you. I am not hungry." 

"Not hungry?" He gave her a look that spoke of how much he knew that she wasn't being honest. "After all we did? You have to be starving." 

She was actually pretty close to it, and yet she still refused to take another step forward. "I will be fine." 

"Come Belle, what does this refusal gain you?" Hook questioned. "You'll only end up exhausted, the last thing you need when you should be building up your strength." 

Just for spite, she WANTED to wither away. As if that alone would somehow punish Hook. Belle lifted her chin, the very picture of stubborn defiance. Hook's eyes narrowed in response, and then he was right in her space, pressing their bodies together as he put his hand on her shoulder. 

"The way I see it love, you got two options at this point." 

Belle's glare deepened, her tone almost haughty. "I am not going to strike any more bargains with you." 

"I'm not making it a choice." Hook retorted, which only made Belle's unease increase. "You either sit down and enjoy a meal with me. Or..." His hand presumptively slid down her front, feeling up her breasts as he talked. "You can take off your clothes, and get right back into bed with me." 

That proved to be the final straw for Belle, the woman unable to tolerate Hook's shoddy attempts at manipulating her into eating his food. Worse yet, she wasn't entirely sure if he wasn't being serious about her getting back into bed with him, a situation Belle wasn't in any way ready to repeat. Not now when she had just gotten dressed, when her body had finally stopped tingling in memory of that sex filled night they had spent together. 

She wasn't about to have sex with him right now, but Belle wasn't about to be forced into eating a civil meal with the pirate either. With her eyes flashing as his only warning, Belle hauled back and slapped him with all her might. 

Hook's face actually turned to the right from the force of her blow, his smirk and his menace gone. Belle found herself breathing hard, as though she had run ten miles at full speed and was only now taking the chance to truly rest. 

"Neither option appeals to me." Belle finally broke the silence between them. "Keep your food, and keep your bed, I want no part of any of it." 

"Are you trying to go back on the deal that you made?" Hook demanded, his thoughts unfathomable in that glittering blue gaze of his. "After I did everything to uphold mine?" 

She wanted to scream yes, and yet Belle hesitated. Wondering how much worse things could become, for her, for Rumplestiltskin. Worrying Hook would find a way to get at Rumplestiltskin, and hurt him, and thus make Belle's own sacrifice be all for nothing. 

"No, of course not." She wouldn't slump in dejection, holding his gaze with her own angry one. "But the deal wasn't that you get to bully me any way you please." 

"You didn't even know what you were agreeing to." Hook pointed out. 

"A fact you were quick to take advantage of!" Belle retorted. 

"If you had any complaints about that, you should have let Rumplestiltskin kill me." 

"I couldn't do that." Belle protested. "Not even to free myself from your clutches." 

"Because you're honorable." Hook noted. 

"Honorable to a fault it would seem." She muttered unhappily. She was even less thrilled to find Hook touching her, his hand cupping her cheek gently. 

"You just need some experience at not getting played. I'm not surprised Rumplestiltskin didn't teach you better, he probably thought it would keep you nice and naive, innocent to the world and HIS wrongdoings." He tsked then, moving to bend over her. "It only set you up to be preyed upon by any who aren't afraid of him." 

Belle jerked back before he could steal the kiss from her. She was sorely tempted to slap him again, feeling remarkably less innocent than she had once been. 

"And I suppose you think you're the one to teach me?" 

"I might." replied Hook. "If only to keep you from falling into the wrong hands. Rumplestiltskin's made many enemies. I'm sure any one of them would love to use you against him. " A sly, hooded look was given then. "Of course, that's provided he still has any feelings left for you at this point." 

It was the worst thing he could have said, Belle struggling not to break down. Worse yet, she couldn't offer a true rebuttal, not sure of Rumplestiltskin's feelings, but also not wanting to reaffirm them and have Hook gloating over the hurt he was causing his enemy. 

"Oh love..." Hook almost looked sympathetic, reaching now to brush away the fat tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Don't waste your time crying over him. Rumplestiltskin is just simply not worth it." 

"You're terrible..." Belle whispered. "Being so cruel to me." 

"It's not cruel to speak the truth about him." Hook argued. "And I doubt he is spending any time crying over you." 

Rumplestiltskin was probably busy with something having to do with Baelfire, throwing himself into the work rather than think about Belle, and the deal she had made with Hook. Doing everything he could to not think about his heart breaking, shutting down his feelings completely. Belle almost envied Rumplestiltskin if that was the case, because she was simply feeling TOO much over everything that had happened. 

Her own heart hurt, the pain almost more than Belle could bear. She wanted, needed a distraction, and yet everything Hook said, did, hell even when he merely LOOKED at her, reminded Belle of what she had lost. What she had given up, and though it had been done with the best of intentions, it still hurt. Still caused her immense pain and suffering. 

The wound festering, Belle turned away from Hook. She'd angrily brush at her face, trying to stop the tears that were falling. But even telling herself it was pointless to cry, wasn't working. Not when her grief needed an outlet, needed time to properly process. 

"Love?" 

Somehow not flinching at the endearment, Belle moved to find and put on her shoes. She might have tried to walk out on Hook without any further acknowledgements, but the pirate refused to be simply ignored. He'd actually grab at her arm, stopping her just short of the wrecked doorway. 

"Where do you think you're going?!" He demanded. 

"What does it matter?" Belle asked, in a rough, broken voice. "You've gotten what you wanted." 

He couldn't even deny it, his hand relaxing it's grip on her arm. Belle jerked the rest of the way free, and without another look back, walked out of the room. She thought she heard him say her name, but softly, the sound almost lost to the violent crash of something being thrown. It still didn't stop her from leaving, from going topside and then ultimately walking off the ship.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been feeling pretty run down tired these past few days. So not much writing was attempted. Then yesterday I seemed to get an energy boost, trashed my second attempt at starting this chapter and then wrote 20 KB of this. (Don't worry the two trashed attempts were only a bunch of paragraphs, maybe a page of writing at best.) I almost finished the chapter to, got all the way to before Belle put on her shoes before I got so sleepy I HAD to go to bed. 
> 
> I like this chapter, but feel a little frustrated. I had been trying to get them to fight a little more, to be more angry. I have this moment which I hope to maybe be able to still use later, where Belle almost tearfully laments to Hook that she wants to go home. But maybe I shouldn't spoil what his response was....or maybe I should because I can't imagine he'll say it as snide as I first thought he would...not after what's gonna happen in the next couple of chapters. 
> 
> Now I'm trying to decide what to work on. If I should get right to work on eight....or finally update one of my other fics so desperately in need of an update. *coughtRestriantcough* I do have in my head how the next chapter for this fic starts....but not looking forward to at least one of the interactions Belle has. But am looking forward to the aftermath of the aftermath of said interaction. XD 
> 
> So we shall see! Hope to get a lot of writing done today to make up for the lack of this week.
> 
> \---Michelle


	8. Eight

The main street of Storybrooke made up the heart of the town's busy shopping district. Store after store lined up on either side of a road that extended for a good two miles. If one was to continue along that road, eventually the stores would give ways to houses, the buildings growing more rich and ornate the further out they were located. Until finally one reached the mansions, where such notable personalities like the mayor resided. 

Belle had never had reason to go to that part of town. Not when Rumplestiltskin had kept a cozy little home located behind his pawn shop. It had been meant to be an apartment building, but Rumplestiltskin had renovated it, turning it into one big house hidden away from the eyes of those who shopped among his wares. 

It was a home she had shared with Rumplestiltskin. A home she had now instinctively sought out, Belle letting out a little dismayed sound the instant she had realized what she had done. The fear of the unknown, of whether or not she would even be welcome there, had Belle veering off the sidewalk. A car whizzed by, just barely managing to avoid her, the driver seeming not to recognize her as he angrily let his horn blare. 

Belle barely acknowledged him, or what had almost happened, hurrying instead across the street. Her heart pounded, Belle more concerned over what sort of chilly reception she might have received if she had tried to enter into Rumplestiltskin's home. The unknown made her worry, made Belle unable to face even walking past the pawn shop's front. She simply didn't want to face a reality that had the potential to devastate her, Belle having lost her home as well as the man that she still loved. 

It would havd been too much of a crushing blow, one dealt too soon after so many others. Belle was sure she would break completely, the bleak reality of her situation proving far more crushing than anything Hook could have done to her on his ship. But Belle didn't for one instant consider returning to him. Didn't for one second wonder if she had burned her bridges on both ends, courting rejection not only from Rumplestiltskin but Hook as well. 

Instead, Belle was almost relieved, nearly reveling in her bid for freedom. Even as Belle knew just about everything was lost to her, she couldn't stop the immense feelings of relief going through her to be away from the pirate. Away from him, and his suffocating embraces, and his eyes that saw far more than she had wanted Hook to see. 

Compared to the way Hook looked at her, Belle barely noticed the way other people were giving her strange looks over her hurried, downright frantic dart and dodge progress across the busy road. She had little worries where they were concerned, not caring if she looked a fright, with her skin pale, her eyes red, and her hair wild. Belle didn't care that she lacked her usual smile, her cheerful upbeat way replaced by the flinching, frightened self that had emerged at the sight of the pawn shop. 

She'd continue in that shifty, frantic, frightened way, barreling past people who hurried out of her way. Past men and past women whose faces she could barely acknowledge, let alone could identify. Until finally she saw it, standing like a safe haven for the lost and confused, it's neon lights beckoning like a beacon to her. 

Granny's. Belle almost collapsed with a sigh then, feeling Granny's Diner would be the one place she would be safe. The one place she could rest and gather her thoughts, rather than run half cocked around the town. The diner was a safe haven and meeting point for so many, the older woman who ran it always ready to greet those who walked through her doors with a smile. Granny and her granddaughter Ruby, would be a welcoming sight, a comfort to Belle even with the questions she might have to field from them. 

In fact, it wasn't long before Ruby approached her, once Belle was situated in a booth in one corner of the diner. The window to the left of her, offered a good view of the main street, Belle able to see even the pawnshop from where she now sat. She kept right on staring at it, even after Ruby set down a glass in front of her, the woman with the red streaked black hair speaking softly. 

"Looks like you could use a drink." 

Belle just made a noncommittal sound, almost wishing Ruby would give her a few more minutes before the questioning started. But luck had seemed to abandon the brown haired woman completely, the waitress Ruby sliding into the seat across from Belle. She couldn't, wouldn't begrudge Ruby for her concern, though Belle didn't immediately move to confide in the woman. 

Instead she reached for the glass, pleased her hand barely shook it as Belle lifted the drink up for a sip. She felt Ruby's worried eyes on her the entire time, Belle stifling a sigh that would do nothing but arouse Ruby's curiosity. 

"You've been staring over there for a while now." Ruby finally said, nodding towards the pawn shop. "I'd say a good fifteen minutes at least." 

"Has it really been that long?" Belle asked, startled despite herself. 

"Longer." Ruby replied. "That fifteen minutes is only from when I started keeping count." 

Belle didn't even have the energy to muster up a blush, her face and body feeling too cold to call up an embarrassed warmth. She merely pulled her gaze from the window, a brief flicker of a glance at Ruby before she looked down at her glass. The tea inside was warm, but even it didn't hold the power to chase away the chill Belle was feeling. 

"Belle, what happened?" Ruby frowned at the way Belle shook her head no, not content to let her dismiss her concern. "I do not mean to pry. Really, I don't. But it's clear something has happened. Something that has left you shell shocked and miserable." 

Belle made a sound then, a sort of tortured half laugh that didn't last for more than a handful of seconds. "It sounds about right, given how I feel." 

"What has he done to you?" There was an undercurrent of a growl in Ruby's voice, the woman almost wolfish as her protective instincts showed themselves. 

Belle blinked startled eyes at Ruby, then quickly hastened to reassure her. "Rumple hasn't done anything to me..." But the words fell unconvincing from her lips, Belle's eyes growing wet. 

Ruby handed her a napkin, Belle clutching at it like it was a lifeline. "He hasn't done anything." She repeated, then almost sobbed. "Except come close to breaking my heart." 

Now it was Ruby's turn to give a wide eyed look, the woman's lips parting in surprise. "What? How?" 

Belle hesitated, not sure she should even be sharing the details with Ruby, with anyone. Rumplestiltskin was a very private man, who took few if any into his confidence. He trusted even less, and once Belle would have beamed over the fact she was one of those privileged few. Used to keeping his secrets, to not betraying what he told her and of what he did, Belle wasn't sure how she could break years of habit to open up to Ruby. 

With Ruby's shocked gaze on her, Belle tried to think. Tried to decide what if any she could reveal. It didn't seem as if there was anything she could share, and yet Belle didn't know how Rumplestiltskin intended to keep things hidden. Not with Hook out there, the pirate likely quick to gloat and brag over his triumph over Rumplestiltskin. A triumph that had a surge of humiliated anger go through her, Belle realizing she wanted at least her friends to know what had happened, to hear about it from no one else but her. 

Belle wished she could say that anger was enough to sustain her decision, Belle setting the tea glass none too gently on the table. Ruby seemed to sense the change within Belle, the black haired waitress sitting up straighter with an anticipatory gleam in her eyes. 

"How much do you know about a pirate named Hook?" 

Ruby frowned in response to Belle's question. "Can't say I know the man personally." 

"But you have heard of him?" 

"Only recently." Ruby answered. "And only from the accounts relayed by Emma and Snow. Seems this Hook was quite the thorn in their side and together with the sorceress Cora, nearly kept those two from returning to this world." There was a look in Ruby's eyes, something that made Belle wonder if there was more to be said than what the waitress was actually sharing. 

"Fortunately..." Ruby continued. "And with no help from Regina and your Rumplestiltskin, Cora and Hook were prevented from crossing over to this world." 

"Prevented?" How Belle wished that was true. "More like temporarily delayed." She sighed, Ruby's eyes first widening than narrowing in response to what Belle said next. "Hook is here. I don't know how, or when, or even if Cora is with him. But he's here in Storybrooke." 

"You've seen him?" 

Almost, almost she blushed from the heat now surging within her. "More than seen him." She sighed again, Ruby's mouth opening and closing as the waitress tried to think of what to ask first. 

"Are you all right?" Ruby finally settled on. 

Much to both women's alarm, Belle's eyes grew wet in response to that concerned question. "No. Not exactly. But I am managing." 

"What does that mean?" Ruby reached to touch Belle's hand. "Belle, tell me...Did he hurt you?" 

Belle bit at her bottom lip before answering. "Not in the way you're probably imagining. But yet...because of Hook, my whole life is all but ruined." Ruby gave a gentle squeeze of Belle's hand, her eyes concerned as she waited for her friend to continue. "Oh Ruby, I've made such a mistake." Her shoulders slumped, Belle fighting not to lower her head. 

"What happened?" 

Belle let out a choked laugh. "I don't even how to begin to tell you this. I don't even know how to make this sound right to myself, let alone to someone else..." 

"Whatever it is, I won't judge you..." 

"How can you not?!" Belle couldn't keep the tortured look off her face. "When I judge and blame myself? For being so stupid...for putting myself in a situation where I had to act, where I had to make that God awful choice." 

Ruby's was quizzical, echoing Belle's words. "Choice? What choice?" 

"Hook had something of Rumplestiltskin's. Something precious and irreplaceable." Belle shook her head no. "I should have stayed where Rumplestiltskin told me to. I shouldn't have been so quick to prove myself, so quick to try and play hero. I am a fool for going there." 

"No, you're not." Ruby said firmly. "You just wanted to help the man that you love." 

"And look where that desire got me! I've lost everything! Rumplestiltskin will never want to have anything to do with me...not without, maybe even if, I allow him to do the unthinkable and kill Hook." 

"Can't say I understand. Just what happened?" Ruby asked. 

"I..." A hesitation. "I came face to face with Hook. He uh...he gave me an ultimatum. I had to choose....let Rumplestiltskin's precious item be destroyed, or..." 

"Or what?" Ruby gently prodded when Belle fell silent for longer than a minute. 

"Or to give myself to him." Belle saw how wide eyed Ruby got, the woman looking flabbergasted. 

"You didn't...." 

"It was the only thing I could do! The only way to keep Rumple's precious item from being destroyed!" Belle exclaimed, all her agitation and desperation in her voice. "What Hook took from him is irreplaceable...Rumple NEEDS it." 

"What could possibly be that valuable?" Ruby demanded with a hint of anger to her voice. "Belle, you are infinitely more precious than any object he could have had. Don't you realize your own worth, how irreplaceable YOU are?" 

Belle flinched, shaking her head. "You don't understand." 

"No I don't." agreed Ruby bluntly. "And I'm not going to sit around and let Hook or Rumplestiltskin get away with this!" She was reaching into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. 

"What are you going to do? Who are you going to call?" Belle was anxious. 

"The Charmings. They need to know that Hook and most likely Cora are in Storybrooke." Ruby was already dialing the number. "I'm only sorry we couldn't have had more of a warning to stop Hook from bothering YOU." 

Belle quickly grabbed at a napkin, wiping at her eyes. She felt overcome with emotions, by the fierce protectiveness Ruby felt to right the wrongs done to Belle. She might even be crying just a little, over the words Ruby had said, over how there hadn't been time for a warning to prevent the whole situation with Hook from happening. 

As Ruby had a hurried, and to the point conversation with whichever Charming had answered the phone, Belle resumed gazing out the window. Watching the people walk by, how innocent and care free they all seemed. How oblivious they were to Belle's problems, and to the fact that the danger of Cora might well be lurking among them. 

Belle realized then that she should have let them know sooner about Hook being in town. But she had been so caught up in Rumplestiltskin's problems with the pirate, that she hadn't had time to truly think. Hadn't had time to realize just what Hook's arrival in Storybrooke might mean, let alone think to warn the Sheriff of the threats. 

Not that Rumplestiltskin would have wanted Belle to involve anyone else in their problems. Not when he was so secretive, even to her. The man had barely told her anything about the vendetta between him and Hook, leaving the pirate to fling a nasty surprise on Belle with the reveal that it had been Rumplestiltskin himself who had killed the woman both men had loved. 

Shivering, Belle wondering if knowing that bit of info would have affected her decision to go to Hook's ship alone. Maybe if she had known just how badly Hook wanted revenge, how hurt he was by Milah's murder, maybe if Belle had thought it was something more than a petty disagreement that the two had had, she would have stayed far away from the pirate and his ship. 

"I'm such a fool." Belle whispered it, and still Ruby heard her. 

"No you're not." She insisted, patting Belle's hand, then responding to something the person on the other end of the phone said. "And you're a far better person than I would have been in the situation." A wolfish grin was given to Belle. "I would have told both Hook and Rumplestiltskin just where they could go, for getting me caught up in their madness." 

Ruby probably would have been able to overpower Hook, and forcibly take the scarf from him. If not in her human form, than as her wolfish counterpart, both halves stronger and faster than a regular human or wolf would be. 

But Belle didn't have any super physical strength to call on, nor did she have any magic other than true love's kiss. She had to rely on her smarts, her quick thinking, and even that hadn't been enough when forced to make a split second decision on Rumplestiltskin's behalf. 

"Where's Rumplestiltskin now?" Ruby asked, and Belle merely shrugged. 

"I'm the last person he'll confide in now...." 

"He's an idiot for that." Ruby made a noise over Belle's attempt to protest that. "He doesn't have to like what you did, but he should at least be grateful and appreciate you sacrificed for his sake." 

Instead Rumplestiltskin had had what amounted to his own ultimatum, the man wanting to kill Hook and turning even angrier at Belle's refusal to allow such a thing to happen. "He was angry..." Belle said out loud, but it was a feeble defense. "He had just seen me in the pirate's arms..." 

"That's still no excuse!" Ruby said savagely, then made confirming noises to whatever was being said over her cell phone. "Right, we'll be waiting." 

"We?" 

"They want to hear from you." Ruby explained. "You might be able to help them find Cora." 

"I really don't know anything about her, and Hook hasn't bothered to mention her but one time." Belle stated. 

"Then we MAKE him tell us what he knows." smirked Ruby, the woman looking like she was enjoying the idea of forcing the pirate to talk. 

"I don't think it will be that easy." 

"I'm actually counting on it not to be." Ruby looked almost vicious then, flashing her teeth at Belle. The brown haired woman couldn't help but shiver, remembering it was a werewolf who she was best friends with. 

Not that she thought Ruby would get that out of control and do something permanent to Hook. She knew Ruby had more control over her wolf side than that, but still Belle wasn't fond of violence of any kind. Even to someone who deserved it, even to a man like Hook. 

"Even if you hurt him, it won't change anything. Won't make things right between me and Rumplestiltskin." lamented Belle. 

"Always did say you were better than that man deserved." Ruby grumbled. "His behavior over this just proves it." 

"You don't understand..." 

"No, Belle." Ruby interrupted. 'It's you who don't. Thinking some item is more important than your own self worth? Letting Rumplestiltskin twist you up inside, so you trade yourself away for it, and then he all but abandons you for it? You deserve better...and the hell if I'm not going to tell him that!" 

Ruby was looking past her now, staring over Belle's shoulder towards the entrance of the diner. "Speak of the devil now." Ruby murmured, and Belle froze. Knowing who had to have walked in, and yet disbelief still shook her down to the core. 

"Rumplestiltskin!" Ruby snapped out loudly, smoothly rising from her seat. 

"Ruby!" Belle hissed, and quickly turned. She saw the shock in Rumplestiltskin's eyes, and then it was swallowed up by a flicker of pain, and then a burst of real anger. He actually grimaced, even as Belle stood up, nervously tucking her hair back over one ear in a self conscious gesture. 

"Rumple." She said out loud. Her mouth felt too dry, Belle far too nervous at the sight of Rumplestiltskin. She wet her lips, then tried for a smile. It was tremulous at best, the woman taking a step past Ruby. 

"You found it." Belle said, her eyes on the buttery yellow scarf resting on Rumplestiltskin's shoulders. "Rumple I'm so happy for you." 

He looked at her, and she could see the struggle within him. He started to open his mouth, and then abruptly turned. He walked out of the diner, barreling past a couple in his haste to get away from Belle. Her cheeks flushed, Belle sure all eyes in the diner were on her, people noting the blatant dismissal Rumplestiltskin had just given her. 

"Oh no he doesn't." growled Ruby, and suddenly she was running past Belle. It was all Belle could do to follow, gasping out Ruby's name in a strangled sounding voice.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah....still feeling run down tired these past few days. Then Tuesday and extending into the early hours of Wednesday, I had a really bad migraine. So that really interfered with writing. I was gonna work on Restraint, but again trade off keeps insisting on just one more chapter. Course I thought there would be more of a Rumple Belle scene in this chapter, but I guess I can worry about how to get it right for NEXT chapter. Mainly I'm worry cause I don't want Rumplestiltskin to be totally...um can't think of the word, I'm blanking on it. Airhead moment! 
> 
> But I want him to be angry, but not like a total bitch to her. But he needs to upset Belle enough for her to do something drastic. Needs to get her upset so that it's believable what happens next in terms of what she goes to do. So fun times (I.e. major aggravation! XD) for me to try and get the scene right for next chapter. *face palm.* 
> 
> Originally I had about 10 KB written of the Ruby Belle scene, but thank God I rewrote it. It really stunk in comparison to what ended up being the completed chapter. Sometimes I swear my mind wants me to write the crappy version to get it out of my system, so that then I can hopefully write the much better version. ^^'' 
> 
> \----Michelle


	9. Nine

Faster almost than Belle could blink, Ruby had run outside of the diner. Belle had one instant to cry out the woman's name, and then her need to follow had kicked in. It was more than self preservation, though Belle did fear the damage that both Ruby and Rumplestiltskin could inadvertently do with a few misspoken words. Why her reputation could very well end up in tatters, Belle maligned and exposed in the heat of the moment by a careless comment spoken by either of the two. 

Instead she was more concerned over what the two strong willed, powerful creatures might end up doing to one another. Ruby was after all, no mere waitress, but a strong and fierce werewolf, who was unwaveringly loyal to her friends. She wouldn't care much that Rumplestiltskin was as strong in magic as a werewolf was in physical strength, or that the man was even quicker to lose his temper than even the most feral of wolves. And although Ruby might be wary, she wouldn't let Rumplestiltskin's reputation as the Dark One, stop her from righting a wrong against a friend. Especially when that friend was Belle, someone she had always considered far too good for the likes of a beast such as Rumplestiltskin. 

Fearing it might come to blows, Belle hurried down the street. She could see Ruby had caught up to Rumplestiltskin, the man not bothering with his magic to speed away. The wolf had firm hold of his arm, all but wrenching him aside to face her. Belle saw the thinly veiled attempt he made to control his fury at Ruby's daring touch, his grip on the expensive walking stick going white knuckled. 

The eyes of the patrons of the diner were on them, people having hurried to the glass windows to peer out onto the street. They weren't bold enough to actually come out to eavesdrop, but there were others out and about. Others more bold, or having just that strong a curiosity that it overrode their good sense. Those brave few actually stood there, not quite crowding around Rumplestiltskin and Ruby, who were already having a heated exchange in low tones. 

Ruby however, was getting progressively louder, gesturing angrily with the hand not holding onto Rumplestiltskin's arm. The man although sneering, with his eyes so dark and furious looking, still maintained that quiet calm, Rumplestiltskin valuing his privacy. Belle dared not hope for more, not wanting to build her hopes up that he might be guarding her reputation by speaking in so soft a voice. 

Such was Ruby's anger, and increasing frustration, that the woman didn't seem to realize how loud she was actually getting. Belle noticeably flinched, hurrying past the curious stares of bystanders who stood closer than they should.

 

"Got her so twisted up inside..." Ruby was in the midst of saying, as Belle drew near. Neither the wolf nor the man so much as looked towards the brunette beauty, not when they were too busy glaring at one another. "That she thinks so little of her own self worth, that she would sacrifice just about anything for you." 

"It's not something I ASKED her to do." Rumplestiltskin pointed out with a snarl. "She made that decision all on her own." 

"Because you had her thinking she had no choice!" Ruby shot back. "When Belle should have told that pirate AND YOU exactly where you both could go!" 

"Ruby...!" Belle all but hissed the woman's name and was ignored. 

"But no. For some reason, she loves you. Though Gods above, we all know you're not a man worthy of such a thing." 

"Are you through with wasting my time?" Rumplestiltskin demanded, his voice and expression totally cold. Even the heat of his fury had been swallowed up, leaving him to appear dead to feeling. 

Ruby made an outraged sound. "Wasting your time? Is that what you think this is?!" She scoffed then. "I'm here to make you realize just what you have tossed aside, and how Belle will be better off to have been freed from you!" 

"Ruby, that's enough!" Belle snapped, and finally got an acknowledgement, though the wolf wisely did not take her eyes off of Rumplestiltskin. The man's entire being radiated tension, with violence underlying his every movement. If Ruby didn't let go of his arm soon, she might find herself backhanded by more than just his magic, a thought that was alarming to Belle for more than just one reason. 

Once, once she would have been absolutely sure that Rumplestiltskin would have been able to control himself. That he would have been too good a man to genuinely hurt a woman, especially one who was simply acting out of concern for the friend that they both loved. But now? Now Rumplestiltskin seemed unpredictable and dangerous, as if his grief and disappointment, his bitter hurt over Belle's awful choice, was slowly spiraling him back into darkness. A darkness Belle didn't know how or if she could stop, especially when the only thing that might possibly appease him, was to allow Rumplestiltskin to kill the pirate Hook in cold blood. 

"It's not enough." Ruby insisted, eyes still on Rumplestiltskin. "He's hurt you terribly." 

That interestingly enough, got Rumplestiltskin to briefly flick his eyes in Belle's direction. For one second Belle let hope build in her, seeing the searching look the man gave her. Briefly, she swore a flicker of worry shown in his eyes. And then his gaze hardened, having noticed something about her neck. Belle guiltily brought a hand up to cover the mark left by Hook's lips, positive she was turning red in humiliation. 

Trying to remember just when the pirate had left such a mark on her neck, whether it had been before or after Rumplestiltskin had found them in bed that first time, a flustered Belle still spoke. "I am not the only one who is hurting...." 

"So you think what....that justifies his abandoning you? That it's okay for him to just turn his back on you, after all you've done, all you've sacrificed for him?" 

Rumplestiltskin was still staring at Belle, and though his gaze was unreadable, the beauty knew he had seen her red face, an all too telling sign of Belle's own shame. He might even be trying to remember if she had been marked earlier, and if she hadn't, Belle shuddered to imagine what Rumplestiltskin was thinking of her now. How much worse would his hurt and his anger be, to even suspect Belle had slept with Hook a second time. Never mind the times that had followed after, the pirate a downright sexual beast with an insatiable appetite where desire and sin was concerned. 

Wanting to say so many things, Belle could only whisper a soft spoken apology. "I'm sorry." 

Ruby grit her teeth at that. "If you ever, EVER cared anything at all for her...then let that be enough. Forgive and move on from what has happened." But it was clear it cost Ruby to say that, the woman completely sour faced as she fought to keep from adding some snide comment. 

"Belle knows what needs to be done, in order for THAT to happen." Rumplestiltskin said, and though she flinched, Belle shook her head no immediately. 

"I can't let you do that....Not at the cost it will demand on you." She told him. His expression was the utmost in bitterness. 

"Then it appears we have nothing left to talk about." 

"You....you bastard!" Ruby snapped. But Rumplestiltskin was already jerking his arm free, Belle reaching to try and restrain Ruby from lunging at him. "Your love isn't worth a damn thing, if this is how you treat her!" 

"Love isn't always enough." Rumplestiltskin answered, calmly adjusting his suit's jacket. "And though it can accomplish a great many things, not even love is enough to get me to tolerate Belle's involvement with that man." 

"You selfish, cowardly..." 

"Ruby that's enough!" Belle said loudly and firmly, though her heart was breaking even more. Rumplestiltskin had finally found the one thing he wouldn't forgive her for, so hurt and angered by Belle's bad decision, that it had blinded him to everything else. It didn't matter that she had done it for him, for his chance to be reunited with his son. All he seemed to focus on was that Belle wasn't allowing him to kill Hook, as though she was protecting the pirate when in truth she was protecting Rumplestiltskin, his soul, from the darkness inside him. 

It was down to choices again, terrible ones. She could let Rumplestiltskin murder Hook, and get him back, but at the cost of his soul. Or she could continue to protect that goodness inside him by blocking his attempts at a killing revenge, but lose that loving relationship they had once had. 

To Belle, difficult though it was, there was only once choice she could really make. And that was to protect Rumplestiltskin's soul, the good side she knew still existed, even at a cost to herself. It didn't stop her from hurting, from having her heart ripped into halves.

As she stood there, blinking back tears, Belle was aware that this was the second time Rumplestiltskin had walked away from her. The second time in roughly twenty four hours that he had left without so much as one more look her way. Belle wanted to break down completely, her lower lip trembling as she held in a sob. Sensing the turmoil in Belle, Ruby stopped fighting her grip, and turned instead to embrace her. 

"It'll be okay..." Ruby whispered. "Someday...." 

"Someday what?" Belle asked, and Ruby shifted uneasily before settling on an answer she must have thought wouldn't hurt quite so badly. 

"Someday the pain won't be quite as bad, you won't hurt this much." 

The sobs almost came then, only the awareness that they were being watched by a very nosy crowd of people. Trying to shield herself against Ruby's body, the woman with the red streaked black hair then turned to glare at the bystanders. 

"Go on, get!" She all but snarled. "You've seen and heard enough!" 

The crowd let out unhappy murmurs, not all of them moving to leave. Belle could feel their eyes on her, their overwhelming desire to be privy to secrets they had no right to, suffocating her. She could only pray that the way she hid herself against Ruby's side, that not many would notice the kiss mark on her neck. But even if by some miracle, only a few did, the very public and not cryptic enough words spoken here today, would give the crowd plenty to speculate on. 

Shamed faced, and trying not to cringe, Belle let Ruby guide her past the crowd. She could hear them talking, and not much of it was in quiet murmurs. People saying things about how they had always known that Rumplestiltskin would have eventually turned his back on Belle, even wondering what unforgivable sin she had committed to make a beast like the Dark One abandon her. 

Belle knew she owed them nothing, and certainly not an explanation. And still she flinched when speculation turned to the man mentioned. They couldn't have known who Hook was, not when neither of the three had said him by name. But it was still horrifying to hear them run down the names of every man she had ever held so much as a brief conversation with, these cruel gossips loudly trying to piece together, perhaps even goad Belle into revealing just what had actually happened. 

"Just ignore them." Ruby was advising, the two almost to the diner's front entrance. Cars could be seen slowing, the people inside them wondering what held the crowd on the sidewalk's attention. 

"Easier said then done." Belle murmured, somehow managing not to let out a broken sob. She stepped into the diner, and found herself the focus of more stares. And then Granny from across the room was briskly clapping her hands together, demanding everyone stop being so rude or that they could leave. 

With a murmur of dissent, the patrons of the diner, turned back to their forgotten meals. "Keep your head held high." Belle heard Ruby advise. It was difficult, extremely so, Belle fixing her gaze on the booth she had previously been sitting at. The booth that gave her a clear view of the pawn shop, Rumplestiltskin having disappeared inside. It's sign had been turned to announce the shop was closed for the day, the man who owned it having no need for the problems and money of the townspeople. 

Belle had a feeling the pawnshop would remain closed for a lot longer than a day. Rumplestiltskin DID have exactly what he needed, at least to find his son now. The son Belle had endeavored to ensure he could be found, a son that Belle wondered if she' ever be able to look at without feeling the pain of her own loss. 

Wondering about that, and if the pain would ever numb down to a more manageable level, Belle listlessly picked at her now cold drink. Ruby had followed her to the table, but at the sight of a car slowing, searching for a spot in which to park, she hurried back out onto the street. 

Belle watched as her friend approached the three coming out of the parked car, two women and a man. The tall, lovely blonde, bore a resemblance to both the man and woman she was with, her parents, thw one time rulers of the Enchanted Realm, and many of the kingdoms within it. Belle had never had true experience with them as King and Queen. Snow White and her prince had simply come into power AFTER the Evil Queen Regina had imprisoned Belle in her tower. 

The Charmings, as Ruby affectionately referred to the family, were not people Belle was terribly familiar with as a whole. Snow White and her daughter, the sheriff of this town, had been away almost as long as Belle had been free. The prince however, was a different story, though right now he was so worried for his family's safety, that he couldn't manage even a small smile at Belle. 

Ruby slid in next to her at the booth, the blonde sheriff, whose name was Emma Swan, taking a seat opposite the two women. Her mother Snow White, joined her in sitting down, while the prince remained standing, both guarding the women and daring anyone to defy sense and come near enough to eavesdrop. 

Conversation among the group didn't immediately flow. Belle couldn't bring herself to do more than whisper a sad hello, her fingers fidgeting on the now cold drink glass. The sheriff, Emma, began to speak, an almost impatient note to her voice that was cut off at Ruby's question. 

"Where's Henry?" 

Asking the sheriff about her son, softened the woman's face. She smiled, and it was genuine. "He's with Doctor Hopper and Pongo." Her eyes touched on Belle. "I want to thank you for that, for what you did to rescue the doctor." 

Belle nodded, but still couldn't find the words to speak. 

"He wasn't hurt, was he?" Ruby asked. 

"He's been roughed up a bit, but otherwise, he's fine. Remarkably so, given we all thought he had been killed!" Emma said, wide eyed and shaking her head as though she still couldn't believe the strangeness of what had happened. 

"It was Cora who was responsible." Snow White added. 

"Cora AND Hook." muttered Ruby with a soft growl. 

"Doctor Hopper wasn't sure who either of his captors were, but from the descriptions he gave us...." Emma sighed. "It's definitely them." Her brow furrowed with her frown. "How did they even get to Storybrooke? The compass should have been the only thing that could have led them here!" 

Belle was lost, not knowing all the details of Snow and Emma's struggles to get back to the town of Storybrooke. "Compass?" 

"An item that was key, to keeping us from ending up lost in one of a dozen different realms." Snow White explained, and Emma seemed to shiver at that. The sheriff was still so new to magic, to even the idea of other worlds existing, but her stint in one of those other lands, had been enough to get her to believe in a great many things. 

"I'm afraid I don't know anything about how Hook could have gotten here." Belle offered apologetically. "Nor did I see any sign of this Cora...." 

"But you've been to his ship?" The prince asked, and Belle found herself nodding, even as her cheeks flushed with color. 

"It's invisible." She revealed. "Completely hidden from the eye, and docked at pier twelve. I found it by pure chance..." 

"How?" A curious Emma asked. 

"There was a few clues..." But Belle now wished she hadn't been so clever in tracking the pirate down. "Once I got to the pier, it was almost too easy to find it." She remembered the birds, the great white seagulls flying over head, some of them landing on top of the invisible masts. "The magic only cloaks the ship and the people inside. It doesn't affect lesser creatures, or the fish feed I had scattered to find it's steps." 

"Just what were you doing there?" Another flush of color at Emma's question, Belle fidgeting more with the glass. 

"It's....it's complicated." 

"But it might help us." Emma quickly said. "If Hook and Cora are still working together..." 

"I don't know if they are." Belle told them. "Honestly, I don't think Hook cares about anything but getting revenge on Rumplestiltskin..." She was almost pleased her voice didn't break then, that her eyes didn't overflow with tears. But her hand shook all the same, Ruby covering it with her own in a show of support. 

"Revenge? Revenge for what?" Emma's brow wrinkled. 

Belle hesitated. "It's not my story to disclose." 

"But they involved you in their revenge." Ruby pointed out. 

"I involved myself." Belle muttered. 

"Wait, THEIR revenge." Emma said, frowning further. "As in it's not just a one sided vendetta on Hook's part?" 

"No, they both have reason to...to hate." Belle told them. "Not that I think it justifies them going after each other." 

"Or involving innocents in their spat." Ruby added, still covering Belle's hand. Only she was aware of it's tremble, the Charmings not privy to how badly Belle was trying not to shake. 

"Is it going to continue?" The Prince asked. "Why isn't Hook dead?" 

Belle knew what he was really asking, the man wondering why Rumplestiltskin hadn't already killed the pirate. "I asked him not to kill Hook." 

"And he listened?" Snow White asked amazed. 

"I have...HAD a special relationship with him." Belle said by way of explanation, a sad look on her face. 

"HAD?" Emma questioned sharply. 

"There's been some....complications." Ruby growled. "Despite all Belle did, all her sacrifice, Rumplestiltskin is as cold a monster as ever..." 

"That's not fair!" protested Belle, at the same time Emma and Snow both spoke in quizzical tones. 

"Sacrifice?" 

Another flush of color on Belle's face, the woman lowering her eyes. 

"Just WHAT happened?" 

"Did Hook...did he hurt you in some way?" Snow added after her daughter's question. 

"It doesn't matter...." Belle muttered, and Ruby made an enraged sound. 

"Doesn't matter?!" The Charmings echoed the wolf's sentiment. 

"It was my own choice..." Belle added. 

"Wasn't much of a choice." Ruby grumbled. 

"Okay, would someone please tell me what's going on? If not why Hook and Rumplestiltskin are after each other, then WHY you were there on his ship?" Emma demanded. 

Belle considered the question a moment, before speaking in a slow, halting manner. "Hook took something important of Rumplestiltskin's. Something irreplaceable. I went to get it back, to try and keep the peace so that no one would end up hurt or dead...." 

"And you found Doctor Hopper instead." Emma noted, and Belle nodded. "Then what happened after?" 

There was a squeeze on her hand, Ruby trying to be encouraging. "I...." Belle couldn't look at anyone then. "I made a deal with Hook." 

"A deal?" Snow White was concerned. "What kind of deal?" 

"To keep Hook from destroying Rumplestiltskin's irreplaceable item." Belle whispered. "There was no time, no other thing I could do..." 

"You should have let him destroy it." She heard Ruby grumble under her breath. 

"What did you do for it?" Emma's phrasing left Belle mortified, the tears falling. 

"Oh....OH." Snow White made a noise of understanding, and hurriedly handed Belle some napkins. Belle took them gratefully, and began wiping at her tears. 

"What?" Emma was confused, not having grasped what Belle's sacrifice was. "What did you have to do?" 

"Emma..." Snow White put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, shaking her head no. The blonde glanced at her mother, and some kind of understanding dawned. 

"You didn't..." Emma said out loud, and then at Belle's loud sniffle, became angry. "I'm going to kill him." She announced. 

"You'll have to get in line." Ruby said. "Because I'm going to kill him first." 

"I hate to pull rank, but I think in this case I should be the one to kill him." The prince was saying. 

"No one is killing anyone just yet." Snow White said, trying to be the sensible one. 

"But he blackmailed her into sleeping with him!" Emma hissed, just a little too loudly. She was quickly shushed, but Belle could swear the diner had gone quiet around them. She cried harder at that, further humiliated. 

"He can't get away with this." Emma added in a much quieter tone. 

"He won't." Stated the Prince. 

"It was my choice." Belle whispered, drawing their attention back to her. "I did it for Rumplestiltskin....I did it so...so..." 

"What could possibly be that important?" Snow White asked. 

Belle could only shrug. 

"Stop protecting him!" exclaimed Ruby heatedly. "Not after he's betrayed you..." 

"I betrayed him first." Belle said. "In trying to save him, in trying to save his....to save his precious item, I hurt him badly....." 

"I don't understand what could be that important for you to have...have..." 

"That's what I've been trying to make her understand. NO item is more important than Belle's own self." Ruby was exasperated and angry again. "That man Rumplestiltskin has got her so confused, so twisted about that she would and did just about everything for him!" 

"I love him." It was a simple statement, but it tore a powerful reaction out of her, Belle openly sobbing. 

The sheriff seemed uncomfortable with Belle's tears, shifting in her seat. Snow White watched with moist eyes, handing more napkins to the brunette. "We all sacrifice for love." She said out loud. "Even if the one we love can't always appreciate it." 

"He's never going to forgive me..." Belle whispered, then made protesting noises at Snow White's feeble attempt to reassure her of the opposite. "I KNOW that to be true. I've seen the look in his eyes, have had a taste of his pain. He can't forgive me, not for what I've done! Nor could he have forgiven my allowing Hook to destroy that item of his!" 

"A rock and a hard place." Emma said. "Terrible place to be." 

"You're better off without him, without either of them." Ruby said, trying to hug Belle. 

"At least the worst part is over, right?" Emma asked, and Belle stiffened. "Please tell me it's over..." 

Belle practically cried harder. "The deal wasn't for one night." The mother daughter duo went wide eyed, while the prince's jaw clenched. 

"That's it, Hook's a dead man!" 

"Kill him AFTER we find out about Cora." Even Snow White was now thirsting for the pirate's blood. 

"Please don't!" Belle protested, moving to following the Charmings as they stalked determinedly towards the diner's exit. Ruby was close behind, softly growling. 

"Why not!?" 

"I..." Redder than she had ever been, Belle whispered. "I made my bed, my choice. I have to accept it...." But she didn't have to like it. 

"Not so sure about that." huffed Emma. "But we will consider letting him live..." 

"For now." Ruby was heard to mutter. 

"Still going to pound him good." Emma added. 

"We'll probably HAVE to, if we want to get him to reveal anything about Cora and her whereabouts." Snow White pointed out. 

"We'll take turns holding him down." Ruby said, managing a feral grin. "His highness can get the first punch in." 

"I might not be able to stop at one punch." 

"That's okay, neither will I!" Was Ruby's reply. 

They were out on the street now, and heading for the Charmings' car. Belle moved to follow them inside the vehicle but was stopped. 

"I think...." Snow White spoke in a soft gentle tone. "You better stay here. You've had enough of Hook to last you a lifetime." 

"I haven't even met the man and I am sick of him." The Prince muttered, as he strapped himself into the car. 

"But..." Belle gave a feeble protest. It was not that she wanted to go with them, but she felt like she HAD to. As if her presence there was the only thing that could stop any potential violence from getting out of hand. 

"You just go home and rest." Snow White tone was firmer now, the woman giving not so much a suggestion but an order. Belle's attempts to protest this, was quickly shushed, the four driving away within two minutes time. Belle was left standing on the sidewalk, fighting not to break down, as she wondered just where home was now. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah....so aside from getting sick which delayed all my updates big time, I was having difficulty with the Rumple Belle Ruby scene. Or rather I was worrying and dreading it so much, that I didn't try to write this story for a while. Fortunately I only had to rewrite that scene once...I hope I did a good job, I mean I worried I would have Rumplestiltskin come off too mean to Belle, or too bitchy or something. 
> 
> Also, had to rearrange some of my plans for this chapter. See I had always imagined that scene leading to Belle doing something drastic. But then I realized I couldn't see Rumple as anything but a private man who wouldn't shout explicit details about Belle and Hook. nor could I see Ruby, even accidentally, revealing in front of a crowd that same info. 
> 
> So I had to scramble mid chapter to fix things, to rearrange some stuff. Made the conversation with the Charmings the catalyst for what is going to happen next. Although the trigger ended up being the go home, I don't have a home realization for that. 
> 
> I had also honestly thought, hoped to have this chapter have the story so advanced that the chapter ended differently....at Belle's drastic moment. Now it looks like instead I might have to do a double POV, or rather start with a Belle POV and switch it out midway. We'll see what happens with ten. Right now I am hoping to spell check, proofread, and get this posted before I have to run out the door for a fasting blood test. 
> 
> Laters!
> 
> Michelle


	10. Ten

Watching Ruby and the Charming family drive off, had proved difficult. Though not as difficult as the decision she had made that had led her to Hook's bed, or that of the losses she had suffered as a result of it. But seeing her friends go, the last of her support system abruptly gone, left Belle shaking. It made her aware of how vulnerable she felt, how alone and lost she now was. It made her feel frightened, Belle scared of just how else her life would spiral out of control. 

Most of all, it made the tears she was near constantly battling, fall faster, Belle not managing to stifle her sob. Her pain and heart sickness, her grief all came bubbling forward, Belle making a fist and biting down on it to keep from screaming. 

She was rapidly approaching a state of hysteria as it hit her just how awful things now were. She had no home, little money, and few real relationships left to her. Her dependency on Rumplestiltskin had seen to that, the man taking care of everything, even as his continued presence in her life had assured that almost no one dared risk form a friendship with Belle. Most had simply refused to look past the Dark One's reputation for evil, and that had included Belle's own father. 

Belle felt another pang of despair, things clenching inside her in pain. Her father had NEVER accepted Rumplestiltskin, or that of Belle's desire to be with him. To the point he had gone to great lengths, having Belle kidnapped and even trying to send her over the cursed boundary of the town, all in order to strip Belle of her true self and the love she had had for Rumplestiltskin. 

He had failed, in no small part thanks to Rumplestiltskin's own magic. In the months that had followed, Belle's father had cut her off, treating it like his daughter had died that day. And though it had been a painful parting, Belle had accepted his decision, choosing Rumplestiltskin over her own father. 

Now she had neither, Belle not even sure if her father would welcome her back. Not even if she came crawling, begging for a chance at a reconcile. The not knowing was painful, scary, but even more terrifying was finding out for sure that her father would still continue to abandon her. 

Frightened and hurting, Belle did not know how long she had stood there at the edge of the sidewalk. She might have stood there frozen forever, if not for an impatient car's honk, the driver wanting the space the Charmings' car had previously occupied. 

Snapping out of her daze but not her tears, Belle scrambled out of the way. Through blurry eyes, she saw the strange looks she was given, but was otherwise left unbothered. No one wanted to get involved, no one dared, remembering just who Belle was associated with. The word had not yet spread, many of the people who passed her by, not yet knowing her relationship with Rumplestiltskin was at an end. 

Belle wondered how long it would take before the whole town knew. Before they did more than just whisper about her. She didn't wonder about the opportunity to have friends, knowing that most people weren't worth bothering with, if they hadn't been able to look past the reputation of the man she had loved. 

The man she still loved, Belle eye's darting to the pawn shop across the street. To her surprise, Rumplestiltskin was standing before it's window, actually looking at Belle. Looking until he realized she had seen him, and then the man violently pulled the curtains closed. That rejection was like another knife in her heart, Belle choking on her sobs. And then she was running, her shoes' heels clicking loud on the pavement as Belle ran from the pawn shop, from Rumplestiltskin, from the people around her. 

She was in fact, trying to run from her problems. But they were too persistent a hound to shake, shadowing her every step. Even as she tried blindly to not think about her heart break, about what she had done, and what was happening to her life, the bad feelings remained. 

Those bad feelings, that horrible gut clenching panic, kept her running for what felt like hours. But in truth it was nowhere near that amount, but Belle had lost track of time, of distance, even of where she had ended up. Panting with every breath, Belle ran past parts of Storybrooke she had no business setting foot in, not recognizing any of the houses, nor noticing when the streets became less maintained. 

She kept right on running, until her left heel caught in the deep gash in the sidewalk, her ankle twisting as she fell hard to the ground. Belle cried out harder, hearing the distant rumble of thunder in the sky. She didn't care that a storm was coming, kneeling there on the sidewalk, her ankle throbbing, her knees cut up and bleeding. Not knowing where she was, or if anyone would come to offer her assistance in this oddly empty part of town. 

And then she saw it, her eyes focusing on something a few feet away. On the warnings signs posted, the danger that had condemned this area. The curse's boundary, a red line spray painted across the dead end street, and across the scraggly looking lawns. Belle knew of the curse, knew it encircled the entire town of Storybrooke. Knew the citizens had taken care to mark every inch that consisted of the boundary, and had abandoned parts of the town where the curse was too near to their homes. 

It was fear that had driven the people to do this. The fear of losing themselves, of losing their memories and being replaced by the ordinary people the curse would have them be. It was the curse's only way to keep everyone trapped inside Storybrooke, and it was beacuse of this curse that Rumplestiltskin had needed Baelfire's scarf to use as a combatant force against.

The knowledge of what she had done, of why she had done it and with who, had never left her. It had stayed in the back of her mind, guiding her panicked flight across town. Belle remembered everything in startling detail, from the betrayed and hurt look in Rumplestiltskin's eyes, to his complete rejection of her, to the humiliation of revealing to Ruby and the Charmings just what she had done. 

Belle even remembered the pirate, and the acts done on his ship. The mortifying time spent in his bed, and the way she hadn't been able to control her reactions to his expert touch. All this was flashing in Belle's mind, the events of the last twenty four hours replaying endlessly. Until she reached a decision, Belle struggling, staggering to her feet as best she could. She wasn't able to put weight on her left foot, but she limped forward all the same. Actually moved with determination, as Belle stared at the curse's boundary which seemed to both mock and invite her. 

Once Belle had feared the curse as much as everyone else in Storybrooke did. Once Belle would have run from it not to it. But now in her moment of utter despair, all Belle could think of was the chance it offered her. The promise of a different life, of being a new person. A person who wouldn't remember anything, who wouldn't feel any of the pain and loss that Belle had now endured. 

In that moment, she didn't hesitate, just wanting an end to her pain. It was a drastic, desperate decision, one not made with a clear thinking head. Belle closed her eyes, and started to let herself drop, intending to fall over the line. 

Belle was unprepared for what happened next. For the body crashing into hers. The wind was literally knocked out of her, a man tackling her to the side before she could actually fall over the line. They hit the ground together, and rolled, going further away from the boundary line. Until they came to a stop in the middle of the empty street, the man breathing just as hard as Belle was. 

Stunned, Belle lay on her side, her back to her would be savior. She couldn't even cry in the moment, too shocked by what had happened. And then the man began cursing, and Belle recognized his voice. Recognized it so much that it sent her shooting upright with a jolt, her blue eyes wide with shock. 

"Bloody hell." The pirate, Hook, lay on his back, his face scrunched up in pain as his good hand felt up his side. "That wasn't good for my ribs..." 

Vaguely, Belle recalled Rumplestiltskin had hit Hook with his expensive cane in that area. Hook's ribs had taken a beating, and while not broken, weren't exactly up to being slammed against the ground. 

It almost made her flinch, to imagine that kind of pain. A physical pain Belle would have still taken over the pain of her broken heart. Somehow, she managed not to crumple, Belle instead trying to glare at the pirate. 

"What...how...." She shook her head. "What are you doing?!" 

"I should bloody well be asking you that!" Hook snapped, and Belle found herself the focus of his glare. The pirate looked absolutely furious with her, and Belle almost flinched in response. "Just what were you thinking?!" The pirate continued. "You know what would happen if you went over that line." 

"I know." She confirmed, watching Hook frown. "But...it doesn't matter." 

"Doesn't matter?" He practically exploded with anger. "What does that mean?!" 

Belle gave a listless shrug of her shoulders. Hook exhaled slowly, clearly struggling with his temper. "You have friends, don't you? Family who loves you?" Belle flinched at that last one, thinking of her angry and oh so disappointed father. "Why would you want to do this? To yourself, and to them?" 

Still she said nothing, her gaze shifting to stare not at Hook but at some far off speck in the distance. Out the corner of her eye, she saw his movements, Hook running a hand over the back of his neck. 

"Look, I know it hurts...." He began, awkwardly. "You've just had your heart handed to you by that....by Rumplestiltskin." 

"Because of you." She muttered, and now Hook sighed. 

"I know I'm not blameless in all of this. But don't expect me to feel bad for giving you that choice. I've spent YEARS waiting for my chance, and with or without you, I wasn't going to stop until I had the crocodile right where it hurt the most." 

"So I'm just a casualty of your feud with him." Belle grimaced. "That hardly makes me feel better." 

"I suppose it wasn't meant to." mused Hook. "But look at this way. If Rumplestiltskin had really loved you, wouldn't he have been able to look past what you did with me?" He started to touch her arm, Belle shrugging free. "Love is supposed to overcome anything, especially if it's true..." 

"Some things even love can't salvage." Belle retorted. 

"And sometimes love is the cause of the fiercest hurt known to man." Hook countered. "And yet where would we be without it?" 

Belle said nothing at first, than slowly turned to look at him. "Would you still have wanted Rumplestiltskin's wife, knowing what the love you two shared would ultimately cause?" 

"I love---loved Milah." Hook plainly stated. "I wouldn't trade a second away of what we had together." 

"But...." 

"I'm a pirate remember? Selfish and used to getting what I want. Even knowing how it all played out, I wouldn't, couldn't give her up. Not even to spare her and myself a lot of pain and misery." Hook gave a bitter smile to Belle. "Would you have not loved Rumplestiltskin if you had known what would happen, how he would react to the choice you made for his benefit?" 

"I...." She lowered her eyes, and that seemed answer enough. 

"The heart wants what it wants, even if it's not always good for us." Hook said. "We have to take the good with the bad, and though it hurts most of the time, an easy way out is not for the likes of us." 

"Or..." He arched a dark brow at her. "Have I misjudged you on that?" 

Belle started to color, a guilty warmth filling her. It had been so tempting, almost undeniable the urge to cross the boundary and lose herself and her memories in the process. Even as Belle knew Hook was right, that it was the easy way, the coward's way, it still held an appeal to her. 

But then she remembered her friends, few that they were, and even her father. The pain they would feel to have lost Belle, to see a stranger in her place. Belle knew then she couldn't truly do it, that she hadn't been thinking clearly earlier. Because Belle couldn't cause pain to her loved ones, even if it meant she herself would be spared all of her current hurt. 

"What do you care?" Belle finally asked. "It wouldn't matter one way or another, might even make it easier on you, if I were to forget everything." 

"I made a deal with you, not the woman you'd become once cursed." Hook answered. Belle began frowning, not finding the answer at all adequate. "And...well, though I'm not sorry for what we did together, I am sorry you're hurting so badly." 

She couldn't bring herself to accept his feeble apology. Belle looked away from the pirate, and for the first time truly saw their surroundings. "How far are we from the main street." She wondered out loud, then thought of something else. "And what are you doing here?!" 

"I..." Was it her imagination, or was Hook turning the slightest bit flustered. "I went looking for you." 

"Why?" She asked, and he just shrugged. Belle narrowed her eyes at Hook, then asked another question. "How did you even find me here?" 

"I didn't." He hastened to explain. "I found you just about the time you started to run." 

"So you followed me?!" 

"And a good thing too!" Hook exclaimed. "Or else you'd be a whole other person now." 

Belle leaned back, not quite mollified by Hooks' words. Nor could she bring herself to show any proper gratitude, when Hook himself was hugely at fault for her pain and situation. 

"So what was it?" Belle looked blankly at Hook. "What was the proverbial final straw that nearly sent you over the boundary?" 

"It...it was a combination of things." Belle said. "It just felt too much to deal with. No home, nearly no money, and not many friends to count on." Not to mention Rumplestiltskin having turned his back on her. 

"So in other words, he made you dependant on him, isolated you so you'd have little to no other people to rely on, and then kicked you out." Hook tsked. "And he says I'm the beast." 

"You say it like he did all those things on purpose!" Belle exclaimed. 

"Didn't he, love?" Hook demanded. 

"It's...It's just so many are scared of him, of the man he used to be..." 

"Still is." Hook muttered, which Belle tried to ignore. 

"They don't see the good in him. They just see the Dark One. It's made them scared to have anything to do with him, and that includes a friendship with me." 

"He's well earned the reputation for depravity and cruelty that he has." Hook retorted. "They have a right to be scared, and you should have had more sense than to get involved with him." 

"It's not like I started out with any real choice." protested Belle. "My kingdom NEEDED his help. Besides...." She paused. "He isn't anywhere as bad as everyone thinks that he is." 

"Tell that to the countless number who suffered because of him." He had struck her speechless, Belle opening and closing her mouth with a snap. "Or have you not the nerve to look them in the eye, and speak about Rumplestiltskin's supposed goodness?" 

"You....you are hateful man." Belle finally hissed, her face red with her upset. 

"It only upsets you so, because a part of you knows I am right about him." 

"This conversation is over with!" Belle said, struggling to stand. Hook rose at the same time she did, never taking his eyes off of her. She gave him a fierce, angry glare, then attempted to take a step forward, completely forgetting not to put weight on her left foot. 

"Ah!" With a pained cry, Belle starting to stumble. Hook was suddenly there, his arms around her as he caught her. She let out a startled gasp, staring at how close he was, Hook's own expression unreadable. 

"You're not getting anywhere on your own, love." He said. "Not with that hurt ankle." 

"I'll be fine." Belle insisted, though she had her doubts about that. "Really..." 

"Sure you will." He said in a knowing tone. "With me to help you." 

"I don't want your kind of help!" protested Belle, trying to push her way free of his arms. 

"You're getting it all the same." Hook retorted, and shifted her closer. "Consider it part of the deal." 

"You mean the part where I am supposed to be your woman?" 

"That very one." Hook agreed with a smirk. "It's not all about sex and revenge. I do take care of my own...even when they are too stubborn to accept it." 

Again she frowned, although her squirming struggles had lessened in intensity. "That stubbornness has served me well in the past." Belle said, thinking of how she had stubbornly clung to the decision to find the goodness in Rumplestiltskin, not to mention the decision to try and break his curse with her love. 

Then to a lesser extent, was the time she had persisted in tracking down the cursed form of Prince Phillipe. Even as the hunting party she had traveled with, had done their best to torment and ditch her. That same stubbornness had allowed her to show mercy to the monster, breaking Philippe's curse in the process. 

Her stubbornness didn't always pay off the way Belle wanted it too. It had been stubbornness that had led her to defy Rumplestiltskin, to seek out the pirate's ship. Her stubbornness had led her to Hook's bed, and Belle didn't see how stubbornness would get her out of it any time soon. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I don't hate my ending paragraph per se, but I just wonder if I could have figured out a way to add more to it then what it is. But I'm feeling kinda blah about this chapter, at least the second half once Belle and Hook start talking. 
> 
> So....the first half ended up going through a rewrite. The first attempt was pretty sucky, and rambling on and on.....I was able to rewrite it in a much better way. Also the first draft a few times started to go off on tangents I didn't want in the story. *face palm.* 
> 
> Originally I had planned to have a chapter end with Belle getting tackled by Hook to stop her from being cursed. And then start the chapter after in a Hook POV for the confrontation that follows. But it didn't happen that way. I think a major part of my annoyance is...the fear the conversation was stupid. Or that Hook was weird in this. It did feel weird to me, cause for once he was being very serious about something other than revenge or sex. I feel I would have liked him to be more flirty, but it was hard to when he is trying to soothe/comfort her in his own way. 
> 
> I want next chapter to be a Hook POV, but not sure if it can be. Just cause there's something Belle is gonna do/know that he won't know her reasons for. (But of course the readers will know!) 
> 
> So....any feedback about this chapter would be appreciated. Extra appreciated as I'm worrying big time over weirdness. Not sure how to fix it to make myself feel better about it. Might go fiddle with the next chapter of Broken Hearted Comfort for now...it and this one are both competing in my head with scenes to write for them at the moment. Though I also have a few new Hook Belle ideas trying to distract me too...too many ideas, not enough of me to go around. X_X 
> 
> \----Michelle


	11. Eleven

Not for the first time, did Hook wonder what he was doing. Wondered WHY he hadn't just given into his first, exasperated impulse and thrown Belle over his shoulder. Instead he had taken the time to face down that willful streak of stubbornness that had manifested within the girl, actually patient as he coaxed her into leaning on him for the walk back to the pier. Belle had been more than reluctant, actually arguing against it, as though she had had better options to choose from. 

Belle hadn't, a fact that clearly upset her. Hook wasn't sure what he would have done, if she had broken down and cried again. Luckily it hadn't happened, Hook instead left to deal with her stubborn refusal of the help he had offered, and her ultimate realization that he wasn't going to go away. Not now, not any time soon. 

It had felt like far too great a victory, when she had reluctantly taken hold of his arm. Hook had inwardly celebrated even as he had chided her out loud, maneuvering her to lean into him, to relax away some of that tension that had left her body stiffer than it should be. That had been nearly two hours ago, and by now much of Belle's initial hesitations had faded in response to the pain of her injury. 

Hook had tried to distract her from the worst of it by engaging in idle chatter. Belle had remained uninterested, too lost in her various pains, to truly hold a conversation. But neither did she complain to him. Not about her ankle which had to be throbbing with every limped step, or about the grief and heartbreak she was suffering through. The pain that manifested in her eyes, that made the blue of it seemingly go dull with it, the very strain of it showing on her pale face and down turned lips. 

Hook knew that look well. He had after all, once upon a time, seen it in the mirror every single day for the first years that had followed Milah's murder. It was a bleak look, a hollow look, though the pain was too real, too potent for one to feel completely empty. It was a look that followed one spiraling out of control. A look that usually followed some desperate, despairing act. 

It was a look that had followed many a destructive action on Hook's part. There had been drinking, and drugs, not to mention duels to the death. Hook hadn't truly cared if he had lived or had died, wanting, needing something, anything to deaden his pain. It took years before the need for revenge overcame the despair, before revenge gave him a reason to live, shaping his purpose. 

Not that revenge made a good reason for living. If anything, Hook had been merely existing, expecting to die once he had his revenge. He hadn't for one second considered that he would survive the encounter with Rumplestiltskin, and in some ways he was still in shock that he had. Shocked but pleasantly surprised, because Hook found he now had some other reason for existing. 

He gave a side long glance at Belle, who had been leaning more and more into him as her ankle's pain worsened. It was strange, the circumstances that had thrown them together. Almost as strange as thinking this beautiful, bravely loyal, and finely suffering woman was now HIS. That he was responsible for so much of her pain, Hook acknowledged and readily dismissed. Hook truly felt he was the better course for Belle, that almost anyone was better for her than Rumplestiltskin. And though that relationship had ended with misery and heart ache, at least no one had died. 

That in itself was a small miracle. Rumplestiltskin had been the Dark One for a great many years. He had hurt countless people, made damning deals and ruined lives. He had killed, tortured, and manipulated. He had been doing such things for far longer than Belle had been alive. Already having made a reputation for himself for cruelty, the time Hook had spent in Neverland had only seen Rumplestiltskin add on to his misdeeds a thousand fold. 

Hook still wasn't sure how Rumplestiltskin had gotten a fine woman like Belle to fall in love with him. Or how she could overlook so awful a reputation, to so stridently defend a monster like Rumplestiltskin. 

Of course, Hook was under no delusions about what kind of man HE, himself, was. He didn't see himself as a good guy, or a noble knight, or some hero. He was a pirate, and used to being bad. He had his own twisted sense of honor, and even grayer moral code. He certainly wasn't worthy of a good woman's attention, which is why Hook had had to do some cheating and manipulating of his own. He supposed it made him no better than Rumplestiltskin, as both of them had to have tricked Belle into a relationship. 

But even knowing he had blackmailed her into his bed, Hook wouldn't let her go. He couldn't, finding he liked her a little more than he had expected too. It was merely an added bonus, that she was a delight in bed, that their involvement was further sticking it to Rumplestiltskin. Because of Belle, Hook had had a reason to get up this morning, and was actually looking forward to whatever might happen next. 

Of course the day wasn't turning out exactly like Hook had hoped. They had pretty much started the day out with arguing, Belle refusing to eat, to so much as be bullied into sharing a meal with him. That time he HAD given in to his exasperation, though he had kept up his pleasant facade when telling Belle she would either eat with him, or get back into bed with him. And though it was a blow to his male ego, Hook had been sure she would hurriedly start the meal. 

Instead, Belle had refused to give in. She had actually dared walk out on him, a fact that annoyed Hook more than he had liked. He had actually broken a bottle, rather than chase after her, and even then it had only delayed his pursuit of her by a few hours. 

It didn't take much self examination for Hook to realize he was in effect bored. For so many years, more lifetimes then Hook cared to admit to, he had spent the days either grieving or being fueled by his need for revenge. The last few years, revenge had been all that had been on his mind. Hook had lived, breathed, and thought revenge. Plot after plot was considered, dismissed, then looked at again. He had actively hunted Rumplestiltskin, questing for items, searching for the thing that would let him finally have his revenge. 

Hook had talked to many people, some but not all, powerful beings. Trying to find one who could destroy the Dark One, the one who had the power and was willing to be bribed, blackmailed, even actively forced into doing Hook's bidding. It had taken a woman, a beautiful, smart, courageous but otherwise ordinary princess, to be the key to Rumplestiltskin's downfall. 

Hook had few regrets for involving Belle in his revenge schemes. He WAS sorry that she was hurting, but was also convinced that she'd get over it eventually. Especially with the way Rumplestiltskin was acting, the cold way he now treated her. Belle would see how lucky she was to escape unscathed from the Dark One's clutches, she might even one day feel indebted to Hook for his help in that. 

He could imagine the form her gratitude would take, and it left him hard and practically salivating. But it wasn't just for sex that he had gone after Belle. It was the bad feeling, the one that persisted after she had gone. The one that told him to not only check up on her, but insisted he should perhaps make amends for what he had said that morning. 

Bad feelings aside, he had never, never been prepared to see Belle attempt to fling herself over the boundary's line. It had shocked him as well as left him furious with her and with himself. Furious for he had realized just how hurt she was by his and Rumplestiltskin's actions, a hurt that would only worsen the longer she was left on her own to think about and wallow in her grief. 

Knowing that, it was difficult to maintain being angry with her. Even as his heart had beat wildly from the near disaster, Hook had tried to comfort her. Of course, being who he was, it wasn't the best attempt at comfort. But at least she appeared to LISTEN to him, and the fact that Belle hadn't attempted a second trip across the boundary, was something. 

Hook intended to keep a very close eye on her at all times. He wasn't about to let her go off on her own again, given the panic and hysteria he had witnessed today. That depth of fear, it was enough to drive her to do something stupidly dangerous again, and that was something Hook wanted to avoid happening at all costs. 

It was because he was invested in Belle. Invested in the relationship, twisted though it was. Hook was interested in having a future, actually having something to look forward to for once in his life. He wasn't in love with Belle, but he thought the two of them could be good together. It was just another reason he was determined to be patient, to help her deal with her upsets no matter how long it took. 

He didn't expect it to be easy. Belle wasn't exactly warming up to him, the woman seeing him as her enemy. Hook knew he had his work cut out for him, if he wanted to endear himself to Belle. But he was nothing if not willing to try, and try his very best to succeed at that. 

It wasn't discouraging that Belle refused to hold a conversation with him. It was enough that she listened, that she came with him, albeit reluctantly. Time would do the rest, allowing Belle to see that Hook could be so much more than just an unwanted lover. But he was eager to resume that aspect of their relationship, finding it difficult to behave with her so close. With her scent in the air, her soft body pressing against his arm, her sweet lips all but begging to be kissed. 

If Hook let it, desire would rapidly over take his senses. Which is why it was a fortuitous chance, that the storm that had been threathening all afternoon, finally opened up. With loud, crashing sounds of thunder, it's lightning a white streaking arc in the sky, the rains fell, and fell hard. Belle and Hook were soaked to the bone within a minute of the storm starting, and many of the people out on the streets quickly scattered, searching for a dry spot to wait out the storm. 

The unlikely pair however, were only a few blocks away from the pier. Hook didn't have to think much on what to do, quickly scooping up a startled Belle into his arms. He got a glimpse of wide open eyes, the blue of them still dull with pain. Her hair, a brown made darker from the rain, was plastered to her, as was her clothes. Even wet and bedraggled, she looked good, Hook glad for the rain and the cooling affect it was having on the worst of his ardor. 

"Hang on to me tightly now." Hook advised her with a grin. His lusts might have been cooled by several degrees, but it didn't stop Hook from taking advantage of the rain to press Belle against him. To cradle her against his chest, and enjoy the feel of her wrapping her arms around him. Belle hadn't hesitated long, sensing his intent, and the relief it would offer from both the storm and her ankle's pain. 

There wasn't many if any people left on the streets, as Hook made a mad dash for the pier. Thunder sounded louder, the storm almost angry. The air itself seemed to sizzle, lightning preparing to strike several times. But they made it to the ship without further incident, Hook carrying Belle up the invisible stairs, and then down below deck.

"It's only going to get worse." Hook said, when Belle began trying to shift out of his arms. He refused to take the hint, only holding her more securely as he carried her through the ship. "This kind of weather, it causes bad things to happen to ships out on the sea." 

Looking worried, Belle spoke. "Will we be all right then?" 

"We're practically land locked." Answered Hook. "This close to shore, there's not much the storm can do. The Jolly Roger's enchanted wood will make sure of that." 

"Enchanted wood?" Belle asked, and Hook almost puffed with pride. 

"My entire ship's made of it. It gives an added boost of speed and protection, allows the Jolly Roger to travel with ease to just about anywhere." Hook explained, practically boasting about his beloved ship. "Comes with the added bonus of blocking most magic, which cuts down on the spying most practitioners can do." 

She seemed to be taking in what he said, and she had stopped trying to get free of his hold. "Is the invisibility part of the package?" 

"No." Hook answered. "That's a recent addition. A gift if you will, from an old friend." 

"Cora?" 

"The one and the same." Hook nodded. "If it wasn't for her advice, I doubt you and I would be here now." By Belle's frown, she didn't look happy to hear that. "We weren't expecting Storybrooke to have any magic." Hook continued, now walking the path to his bedroom. He had to firmly plant his feet down with every step, the ship rocking in the water even with it's anchor down. 

"I thought I'd finally be on equal ground with Rumplestiltskin." Hook added. "You can imagine the disaster it would have been for me otherwise." It wasn't Hook's imagination, Belle had actually shuddered in response. He hid a smile, wondering just what Belle had witnessed, what atrocity Rumplestiltskin had committed, to make her feel fright at the thought of someone, anyone, even Hook, going to face him when the Dark One's magic was at full strength. 

"It's a hard thing." Hook said, carefully stepping through the wrecked remains of the doorway. Someday soon he'd do what he could to repair it, but for now he had other interests to pursue. "To get revenge on a man who cannot die through conventional means." 

"Yet somehow you managed it." Belle sounded bitter then, to which Hook pretended not to notice. 

"Aye pet, that I did." He grinned at her, and she looked away. Belle would turn back to him when he walked past the bed, Hook not setting her down anywhere near it. Instead he would carry her into the bathroom, and only then gently ease her onto the bench there. 

Clearly confused, Belle stared at him, even as Hook reached to work the buttons open of her wet sweater. "Wait." Belle said, grabbing at his wrist with both hands. "What are you..." 

"Ah love, you're wet from the rain, and already starting to shake from it's chill." Even with her trying to stop him, Hook got another button open. "We've got to get you out of these soaked things, before you catch your death in them." 

"Wait....wait..." Belle was saying, straining to keep him from undoing anymore buttons. "I don't..." 

"No need to be shy, love. I've already seen all your treasures." Hook got the next button open, and couldn't resist brushing his fingers over the top swell of her cleavage. An in drawn hiss of breath was heard from him, the pirate's smirk gone, as he felt how like ice her skin already was. 

"We've got to get you warm." He said, fighting the urge to just rip the sweater off of her. "Come now, stop fussing." It took more urging than that, Hook getting the sweater off her, and flinging it to the floor. 

"But...what....what will I wear?" Belle wondered out loud. 

"You let me worry about that." Hook's words hardly had her reassured. He tried not to let out a breath in appreciation when he peeled off her soaked shirt, staring at her breasts and the wet bra that barely succeeded in covering them. "You..." He had to swallow several times, Hook finding his mouth had gone dry. 

"Finish with your undressing." He finally said. "I want you to take a hot shower, while I go brew you something that will warm you up from the inside out." 

Making her a drink was the last thing Hook wanted to do, but even he wasn't such a brute as to force his desires on her, when she was so badly off. Even if Hook knew it would be decidedly more delicious to warm Belle up with his own body, with his big hand caressing all over, his dick thrusting inside her. 

And then he was coughing, more to cover the fact he had started to fantasize, and react to the ideas. "I'll..." His tone was gruffer than usual, Hook quickly turning away from Belle. "Get in the shower. I shouldn't be gone for more than a few minutes." 

He didn't linger for Belle's reply, hurrying out of the room. Once back in the bedroom, Hook quickly pulled off his long leather coat, and the soaked shirt beneath it. He then proceeded to the ship's galley, brewing Belle some tea that was topped off with a bit of rum. It wasn't his intent to get her drunk, just to warm her as quick as possible. 

Carrying the hot mug back to the bedroom, Hook set it aside on the room's table. He'd then get a clean shirt from his closet, the size of it such that it would fall down to Belle's knees should she wear it. And damn if he didn't like the thought of her in it, wearing something of his with nothing else on underneath it. 

More than one fantasy about Belle and his shirt ran through his mind, Hook heading back to the bathroom. She wouldn't hear the door opening over the roar of the shower, and truly Hook's intention was just to check on her. He wasn't expecting to be so profoundly struck by her naked form, her body a beautifully arresting sight, especially with the shower water leaving many slick trails trickling everywhere. 

Belle wasn't aware he was watching her. Not when she had her eyes closed, her arms hugging close to her chest, her hands resting on her shoulders. It was a shame that most of her beautiful breasts were covered by her arms, but as for the rest of her Hook had uninterrupted view. He saw everything from her slim waist, the flare of her shapely hips, to her dimpled bottom. He saw her hair falling in loose, wet curls down her back, and Hook longed to sweep them aside and lave his tongue between her shoulder blades. 

The fiercest want then swept through him, forcing Hook to exert every inch of a control he didn't often make use of. It was almost impossible NOT to go to her, to keep his hands off of Belle. Not caring that he was half dressed, Hook wanted to fall to his knees in the shower, and thoroughly worship at Belle's flesh. 

Hook told himself he wasn't a big enough bastard, to jump Belle in the shower when she was still shaking from the cold. Still favoring her left ankle, and might actually be crying at this moment. He told himself he could wait, that he could behave himself for a little while more. It was a lot harder to believe, with his hand gripping the shirt so tightly his knuckles had bled out their color. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued of course...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A long awaited Hook point of view! I'm pleased I didn't have to do any trashing and rewriting too! A little iffy on how I ended it, but every time I tried to add a few sentences more, it felt like it was wrong or going off on a tangent I didn't want. But also I had thought the chapter would end with the Charmings and Ruby's arrival....Oh well, guess that can happen mid chapter....pretty sure I'll do a Belle POV next. Even though I feel like the story is unbalanced with too many Belle POV's...but I'm glad I got to do Hook's thoughts on everything for this one! 
> 
> For those wondering why I had him think he's not in love with her. I've been trying to establish that, because I didn't want to do the easy thing, or the cliche thing, and have it they had sex, and bam! He now thinks he's in love just cause of bedding her. I want him to get to know Belle beyond sex, to have that realization. Though it doesn't mean it's an end to sex, just this story is being demanding that I not sacrifice my plot ideas for smut scenes. (Even though I've really been wanting to write smut lately. XD) 
> 
> I ended up with a lot of notes/thoughts for this chapter. Almost tempted to post them, and all the opening lines I trashed, just to show you how amazing it is, that I go from these bare bone rambles of ideas (Which I call notes) to a fully fleshed out chapter. I went through a lot of different opening lines, cause for some reason couldn't get the damn chapter to start. I tend to find starting the hardest, but once I get the opening paragraphs to my satisfaction, the rest of the scene tends to just flow for me. So while it was rough getting this one started, once I found the right words, it all flowed from there! Whoo hoo! 
> 
> \---Michelle


	12. Twelve

Standing under the spray of the shower's warm waters, Belle had had to admit, that this was something she had needed. And not just to chase away the chill that had been within her, but to give her the time to step back and process all that was happening. To actually think with something other than the borderline panic that had underlined her every thought and action for the last day or so. 

The act of thinking didn't mean Belle hurt any less. Her heart break was real, the pain potent and damn near disabling. It was dangerous too, having already led her to make one suicidally stupid move when Belle had attempted to cross the boundary. Although she wouldn't have died a traditional type of death, the curse would have destroyed her true self, so that the person Belle now was would have existed no more. There would have been no coming back from that, and though it was still tempting, that thought of being stripped of her pain and heart break, Belle knew she couldn't do that to her friends, or to her estranged father. 

Without panic guiding her, Belle could see how selfish that would have been. That and the stress she would have put them all under. And though she still hurt terribly, Belle took comfort in knowing that fatally stupid mistake hadn't been carried to completion. What was less comforting was how the curse had been avoided. The man who had stopped her, actually going so far as to tackle her to the ground rather than let Belle cross over the boundary. 

Hook. 

Belle's face grew warm, a sort of mortified heat coloring her cheeks. It wasn't the first time he had seen a side of her that Belle would have preferred to keep hidden. Her reluctant ecstasy, that wild abandonment she had experienced at his touch was nothing compared to being seen at her lowest, her most pained. Belle had been blinded by her pain, hysterical and desperate. Actually despairing as she had tried to cross the boundary. Hook had seen it all, from her panicked flight, to that suicidal like decision. 

Did he judge her for that? Did it even matter? Belle wasn't sure, except to know she didn't like how exposed these circumstances had left her. How vulnerable she felt, how embarrassed and humiliated it felt to have had Hook of all people to witness such things. Belle couldn't think in terms of gratitude for the saving Hook had done her. Not when it was his schemes and manipulations that had led to the situations that had come close to destroying Belle in the first place.

But the worst had to be over. Belle couldn't imagine anything Hook or even Rumplestiltskin could do, that would drive her to such a low point again. Belle simply had to be strong, endure whatever came her way just like she had in the past. From her time as the Queen's prisoner, to further back in the early days of her relationship with Rumplestiltskin when he had viewed her as nothing more than a slave. 

Compared to those times, this experience with Hook was simply no better and no worse. A survivor, Belle would manage just fine save for her embarrassment. Hook might enjoy having her in his thrall, using her to hurt Rumplestiltskin, but ultimately Belle was sure he would tire of this. He couldn't possibly be serious about wanting Belle for his own, couldn't really want to keep having her act as his woman. Eventually Hook would either grow satisfied or bored, thinking his revenge complete. Belle would be free then, left to her own devices to pick up the shattered pieces of her life. 

Not sure where she would start with that particular mess, Belle knew she now had time to figure things out. That things weren't as bleak as they had once seemed. Her pain had not lessened, but it now felt she could manage it and whatever pitfalls that may come her way. She nearly felt hopeful for the future, for the chances that might await her. 

Less promising was the fact that Hook was also waiting on her. Belle was frankly surprised at the patience he was showing, that he hadn't come barging in to disturb and molest her during her shower. Belle was under no illusions about what he was expecting, what would happen once she came out of the bathroom. She could think of no other reasons that would have motivated him to bring her back to his ship for than sex. 

Belle was resigned to it. She had after all made a deal with him, and Belle was hardly one to back out on a promise. But a part of her couldn't help but hope he had worked out the worst of his lusts. That the insatiable man of the past night, wouldn't be all over her for every waking moment of this one. 

Such hopes seemed dashed when Belle stepped out of the shower, and discovered her clothes were gone. Every last piece, including her bra and panties. She didn't know what distressed her more. That Hook had snuck into the bathroom at some point, or that he had taken off with her clothing. 

Taking this as proof that Hook really had a one track mind where she was concerned, Belle almost didn't notice the shirt he had left behind on the bathroom's bench. But when she did, she grabbed at it like it was a life line, quickly slipping the black silk onto her body. It bagged on her, the sleeves so long that she had to roll them up. The hem was no better, falling past her scraped knees. 

It also smelled faintly like Hook. A clean and strong masculine scent that Belle was hardly pleased to recognize. Never had she wanted to get this close to the pirate that she would know and find familiar the scent of him. But after what they had done together, she was intimately familiar with a great many aspects of him. And no doubt, Hook was the same with her, which sent Belle off blushing. 

Deciding to pretend she was still red faced from her shower, Belle limped out of the bathroom. The pirate was halfway across the room, his back to her. His BARE back, the unvoiced question about her clothing dying in her throat at the sight of it. It had caught her off guard, the idea of Hook waiting for her half undressed so unexpected, so unwanted. 

Not that Belle hadn't already seen Hook in various states of undress, and he her. But the fact that he was shirtless now, seemed to only confirm her expectations of what Belle assumed he would want from her. She practically sighed then, then nearly jumped when without turning, Hook spoke. 

"Do I take your breath away, love?" 

Belle blinked, a moment needed for his tone to register as teasing. Did her face warm further, her blush spreading when Hook turned to grin at her. 

"No, not exactly." Belle finally managed to speak. An intrigued gleam lightened Hook's dark gaze, and flustered by it, Belle knew then that he did. By the simple act of looking at her with that ravenous hunger, that blatant lust, Hook could and did steal the breath from her. It wasn't something she would admit to out loud, nor did Belle find it a pleasant feeling. It set her on edge the way Hook often looked at her, that burning blaze of desire that danced naked in his eyes, something frightening compared to the way Rumplestiltskin had looked at her. 

Her face nearly crumpled then as Belle realized Rumplestiltskin would never again show her such a loving expression. Hook's grinning face took on a serious slant to it, the man perceptive enough to pick up on Belle's distress. She wasn't sure how he knew, what telling sign had betrayed her in the face of her maintaining her outward composure. 

"Is one of those for me?" Belle asked, inclining her head towards the table behind Hook. Among the bottles of various liquor, there was a black kettle and two glasses. One was still full with what Belle hoped was some tea. 

"Freshly brewed and awaiting your pleasure." His smile had returned, Belle taking it to mean he wasn't going to press her about her moment of distress. She supposed he could guess as to what was troubling her, and it was a relief not to have talk about it. Not when talking wouldn't change a damn thing, not the truth of the matter, nor the fact that she still hurt over it. 

Wondering if she would always hurt this badly, Belle took a step forward. The fact that she favored her left foot, had Hook at her side in an instant, the man lifting her up off the floor. Startled, Belle pushed at his chest, issuing a protesting exclamation. 

"I can still walk, you know!" 

For one brief instant, both of them tensed, Belle's hands having touched upon Hook's chest. She was made aware of how warm his skin was, and of how this was the first time she had truly touched him in his bare state. It wasn't a loving or sexual touch, but it made her nervous all the same. It probably had to do with the tension that had overtaken Hook's body, the lazy, relaxed way he had been holding her, now becoming stiff and unyielding. 

"Hook?" Belle asked, nervous as she let her hands fall away. Something showed in his eyes, Belle confused by it. She couldn't know how much Hook had been craving for her to touch him, how earlier he had been almost desperate for it, even as he had known it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. 

She didn't know any of it, and yet Belle knew enough to be wary. Holding herself absolutely still, rather than do a frantic squirming to get free of his arms. Daring to not to so much as breathe, knowing it would take very little for this to escalate towards the bed. 

There was one more thing that Belle didn't know. One more thing she wouldn't have been able to comprehend where Hook was concerned. And that was that he was honestly struggling, torn between concern for Belle, and his desire to bed her. It was completely unlike a pirate to even for one second considering choosing the former over the latter. It put frown lines by his eyes, Hook standing rooted to the spot, with a Belle who was noticeably NOT squirming in his arms. 

It was a wise move on her part. To have a blushing, squirming, practically naked Belle in his arms at this moment? It would have ripped the choice from him, Hook moving to act on the desires this delectable female wrought in him. It was a hard enough decision without any prompting from her, leaving them frozen in a moment that could go either way. 

When Hook finally took a step forward, it was with noted relief, not to the bed. Belle found herself being lowered into a worn but comfortable chair, the hem of her borrowed shirt riding up high on her thighs. A hurried movement from her had the shirt tugged back into place, but not before Hook had gotten an eye full. 

Pink even though Belle knew he had seen more than that during the past night, she wasn't expecting him to tsk. "Not only have you hurt your ankle, but you've gone and done a number on those lovely long legs of yours." 

He stepped away from her, and Belle swore Hook's tension grew worse, even as he let out a deep breath. The glass of still warm tea would be given to her, Belle noting on the first sip that it was flavored with something quite strong. She'd nearly choke on that potent brew, when the pirate dropped down to his knees before her, his strong hand reaching for her legs. 

"What....?" Belle couldn't manage to speak a word without sputtering. "What are you...?" 

Her flesh seemed to break out into goose bumps, Hook looking up at her, while rubbing her left leg. It was an eerily familiar scene, reminiscent of the moment leading up to the first time that they had had sex. The pirate had been on his knees then too, his hand and his hook confidant as they caressed and rubbed over her legs. 

This time however, his touch was lighter, Hook rubbing his fingers over one of the many scratches on her leg. The scratches weren't deep enough to have bled much, unlike the scraping of her knees which had hurt something terribly even hours later. But the worst was her ankle, Belle fighting and failing to not flinch when Hook brushed fingers over it in a determined way. 

"Swollen..." He murmured, still watching her face. He applied slight pressure to her ankle, turning her foot this way and that. It hurt but not as much as it could have, proving to them both that it really was just a sprain, and nothing more serious than that. 

"You were lucky." Hook said, still holding onto her foot. "It'll heal on it's own soon enough." The tea hadn't been the only thing he had brought with him, Hook unwinding a cloth bandage. He'd then proceed to secure it around her ankle, using it to provide some additional support to her injury. 

Hook talked while he did that, every so often looking up from Belle's ankle to meet her curious gaze. "It's strange, Belle." He said. "Today is proving different from my expectations." 

"Different?" She asked, and Hook let out an easy going laugh. "Different how?" 

"Oh the company, the situation, even the circumstances that brought us together. Take your pick, pet. It's all things I hadn't planned for." 

"Then what were you hoping for?" Questioned Belle. "What did you want to happen after you got your revenge on Rumplestiltskin?" 

"Truthfully?" He had finished wrapping the bandage around her ankle area. "I wasn't wanting much of anything." 

She was confused. "What, nothing?" 

"It made it easier." Hook answered, staying kneeling on the floor. "To accept that I was going to die soon after I settled with Rumplestiltskin." 

Belle shivered then. "That sounds terrible." She meant it too. "How could you live your life that way? With no hope for the future?" 

He gave a shrug of his shoulders. "It's easier than you think. Especially if you have no one left, no one to be close to." 

"But surely that was your choice." Belle protested. "Rumplestiltskin may have killed Milah, but what about friends, family?" 

"It wasn't hard to drive away my friends. And trust me, love, I was pretty terrible in the years that followed Milah's murder." Hook practically sighed then, his eyes almost regretful. "I was bitter and heart sick, angry with Rumplestiltskin, with the world. I took out my pain on others, hurt people, even killed, furious that I lacked the ability to do those things to the man responsible for my loss." 

"But surely they understood..." 

"Understanding will only get you so far." Hook retorted. "Especially when you've lived for as long as I have." 

"You make it sound as though you are an old man." Belle pointed out, watching as Hook went from serious to teasing with a smile. 

"Just how old do you think I am?" 

"Um." Belle looked at him carefully, noting how he lacked any lines on his face. "I wouldn't much put your age pass thirty." 

"Thirty is it?" Hook chuckled then. "I like that." His hand touched her leg again, a light caressing motion that could become so much more. "But I'm afraid you're wrong, love. Because I'm much older than that." 

"Then how old are you?!" Belle demanded, her peevishness having more to do with him stroking her leg than anything to do with his true age. 

"I'd say I'm only a few decades younger than Rumplestiltskin." 

"Only a few decades..." Belle murmured, than shook her head. "You can't be nearly as old as him! You're not immortal." 

"No, I am not." Hook agreed. "But remind me to tell you about Neverland some day." 

"Neverland...." Belle echoed with surprise. She had heard of the land, a realm thought to be only a myth. And with that myth came fanciful tales, including one about how the people there never aged so much as a single day older. 

"But if Neverland is real..." 

"Oh it is." Hook assured her. 

"That would mean....you've held your grudge against Rumplestiltskin for years." 

"HUNDREDS of them at least." Agreed Hook without smiling. 

Belle was quiet a moment, processing this. "That is a long time to live in pain...." She said softly, even sympathetically. "And an even longer time to live expecting to die." 

"Some days knowing that an end to the pain WOULD happen, was the only thing that kept me moving forward. That and the idea of perhaps avenging Milah." 

"You've succeeded in that, haven't you?" Belle couldn't help but sound bitter than. "So what keeps you going now?" He was quiet, but Belle couldn't tell if Hook was considering a possible answer to actually give her. 

"A few things, I suppose." He finally said. "Chief among them you." 

"ME?" She squeaked out, her eyes widening in disbelief. 

"Don't look so surprised, sweet." Hook chided. "Not when you worked so hard to keep Rumplestiltskin from finishing me off." 

"I didn't do it for you...." 

"I know. You thought you were protecting whatever goodness you think exists in him. But the fact remains, I benefited from your belief in him. A belief so strong, even Rumplestiltskin wants to behave because of it." 

"It is strong because it is the truth!" protested Belle. "There IS good inside him." 

"It'll take a lot more than words to convince me of that. Not after what I've seen him do." Hook told her, then smiled. "We're never going to agree on this, both of us too deep in our opposing beliefs about Rumplestiltskin." 

"So we what.....agree to disagree about him?" Belle wondered, and Hook nodded. She sighed then. "So what is the other reasons?" But his expression turned teasing, his eyes glimmering with a playful shine to them. It let Belle know Hook wasn't about to be serious in whatever he told her next. 

"You are quite the woman, Belle." Hook said. "In and out of bed, you're proving to be a delight. How can I not stick around to enjoy you some more?" 

Her faced burned, this time anger warming her cheeks. "That's not something I want to hear!" She snapped. 

"But it's true all the same." Hook retorted. "And if by being with you, I continued to twist the dagger in Rumplestiltskin? Why it makes it all the better." 

Belle considered throwing the remains of her tea in his face. "You are despicable." 

"But honest enough." Hook countered. "Face it love, we're in this together. This is the first day of the rest of our life together, a fact that should be celebrated." 

Belle had barely heard the part about celebrating, having gone still and pale. She hadn't liked what Hook had had to say, how he had talked about them having a life together. It was the together part that bothered her, Hook speaking as though he meant it. As though he truly intended to keep this farce of a relationship going indefinitely, as though Hook expected Belle to spend the rest of her life playing at being his woman. 

For a woman who had been counting on Hook to eventually tire of relationship born of so twisted a beginning, it was unsettling to think he might really intend to keep her. It left an uneasy feeling inside her, Belle staring dismayed as Hook lifted her right leg, to press a kiss over the top of her foot. 

By the look in his eyes, Belle could tell just how he wanted to celebrate too. And though she had been resigned to it earlier, now she felt a fierce urge to rebel against it, Belle trying to jerk her foot free of his grip. 

"Hook..." She began, with a nervous lick of her lips. "Do...don't..." His eyes had gone hooded in response to that glimpse of her tongue, Hook laying his hand on her thigh. 

"Don't what?" He asked in a husky tone, his fingers kneading at her skin. 

"Just...just don't..." Belle started to say, giving a little shake of her head. Hook made a shushing sound, dropping down to place a kiss on the thigh he had been massaging. She shivered at that, and tried again, louder this time. "Don't do that!" 

Hook outright ignored her, giving her several nibbling kisses on her thigh. Lord help her, but Belle reacted to that, to his nearness, and to the feel of his facial hair rubbing against her skin. Her breath caught inside her, Belle not actually gasping just as another voice spoke. 

"I believe the lady asked you to stop." 

Startled, Belle whipped around to see Ruby and the Charmings standing in the broken doorway of the ship's bedroom. Their expressions were all murderous, the prince actually reaching for a sword that was not there on his belt. Ruby had a shirt in her hand, the fabric still wet from the storm. Belle realized it was one of Hook's, and that Ruby had most likely been using it to scent and track him all over town. 

Hook had tensed a moment, before rising to his feet. "Swan." He said, locking eyes with Emma. "I would expect you and your family to know better than to barge uninvited to a place you're not welcome." 

"You're on my turf now, pirate. We play by my rules." Emma retorted. 

"Oh do we now?" Hook asked, his tone decidedly cool given how annoyed he seemed by the interruption. "This is my ship, not yours. I'm the captain here." 

"As long as your ship is in Storybrooke waters, you answer to me." Swan countered. "Now leave Belle be, and come here." 

"And if I don't?" Hook asked, sounding bored. 

"Then I won't be responsible for how hurt you end up getting." Emma said, an unpleasant smile on her lips. 

Hook let out a long suffering sigh, holding up his hand in mock surrender. "All right, all right." He grumbled, before turning to touch Belle's cheek with his hand. "Sit tight love, this shouldn't take more than a minute." A low growl was heard, Ruby sounding wolfish and feral in response to Hook's words. All hell would literally break out seconds later, Ruby charging forward to punch the pirate in retaliation for the sexual promise Hook would attempt to voice to Belle. 

All but screaming, Belle tried to lurch out of the chair, not sure who she was more worried for. Ruby WAS a werewolf, but then the pirate had that deadly sharp hook in place of his left hand. Either could do great damage, and neither were holding back in their attacks. 

Shouting broke out on the ship, the Charmings rushing forward. Belle glanced at the prince who charged into the fray, and any hope she had that he was there to break up the fight, faded when the prince punched Hook right in the face. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a difficult time with this chapter, hence it was so many days without an update. The first attempt at the start, was....I guess too rambly and repetitive, and well I trashed it, and made a better attempt at the shower scene for Belle. But then my mind kinda shut down on what to write for the conversation between her and Hook. It wasn't supposed to get sexual either.....it just sorta happened by accident. Still haven't been able to get Belle in the frame of mind I wanted/feel I need for the three day time skip either. Hoping next chapter will go well, and then fourteen will be the three days later time skip. *knocks on wood* Not really feeling into writing the Charmings and Ruby tonight....but glad to have this chapter over with. X_X 
> 
> \----Michelle


	13. Thirteen

There wasn't much time to think. Not with a wolf charging his way. Hook barely had a chance to step away from Belle, before the punch caught him square across the jaw. Pain spiked in him, the wolf packing strength in her fist. Hook would actually stumble back across the floor, his good hand raised up to his face to feel and gauge just how much damage the wolf had just done. 

He came away lucky, finding it wasn't broken, nor was it dislocated. It still hurt like crazy, Hook knowing he would have a bruise, and some swelling to deal with later. He'd have worse to deal with right now, the wolf still charging, still lashing out with her fists. Hook wasn't one to often hit a woman, but this wolf was leaving him sorely tempted to do just that. Especially with every hit she landed, Hook forced on the evasive, his arm raised up to block the blows. 

He was careful with his hook. The wolf hadn't realized the danger she was in, or maybe she just didn't care. But his hook was made of pure silver, one carefully placed stab of it, would end the wolf's threat and possibly her life. He wasn't into killing women, a fact that saved her, even as Hook grew more angry and annoyed. 

His mood grew worse when the man's fist came out of nowhere, Hook thoroughly suckered punched by a prince of all people. It was more a blow to his ego than anything, Hook not thinking much of princes in general. Thinking them spoiled, and living charmed lives, their happy endings all but guaranteed. It didn't surprise him that this prince had had to rely on the element of surprise, that he had had to fight dirty to land a punch on Hook. He might even admire the man's quick thinking, and underlying sneakiness, if not for the fact he had used such things against Hook himself. 

Instead he was angry, his nose actually bleeding a little. Hook didn't bother to wipe away the blood, instead giving a vicious grin at the prince, a moment before he punched him right back. Several female screams were heard, right before it became an all out brawl. The prince barreled into Hook, trying to take him down, the wolf female skirting around them, waiting for an opening of her own. 

Hook and the prince were engaged in a slug fest, punches landing anywhere and everywhere. Hook took one to the stomach, the wind knocked out of him, forcing him to bend forward in time to get backhanded across the face. Hook growled, and brought his hand forward, an uppercut with his fist catching the prince on the chin. The many rings Hook wore on his fingers, helped to slice open the prince's face, his royal blood dripping everywhere. 

The blood enraged the wolf, the woman rushing forward though Hook couldn't guess what she intended to do first. Hit him or bite him, and since neither option appealed, Hook grabbed at her arm, twisting it behind her back, before roughly flinging her into the prince. 

The prince tried to catch her at the last possible second, but instead tumbled down to the floor with the woman. Hook was already moving into place, to kick the prince in the head, when a gun shot went off. Everyone froze, Hook narrowing his eyes at Swan. 

But before he could so much as voice a single word, the blonde haired woman was issuing a threat of her own. 

"The next bullet I fire." She said, her gun lowering it's aim from the ceiling to get a bead on Hook. "Will be right at you." 

"That's hardly sporting, lass." Hook pointed out. "Especially given all I was trying to do was to defend myself from their attacks." 

"Defending is one thing." Swan hissed. "Kicking a man when he is down, is entirely another." 

"And yet I didn't see you leaping to MY Defense when the odds were two against one." Hook's tone was sour. "But then I suppose that was all fine and well, as long as I was the one losing." 

The blonde gave him her own version of a nasty smile. "Considering what you've done? I'd say you earned the right to be beaten for it." 

"Now, now lass. You can't be still holding a grudge over my leaving you locked in that dungeon." Hook smirked at her. 

"You left us all to die!" Swan exclaimed, her agitation showing. 

"But you didn't die. So we're more than even, considering the foul things you did to me." 

"I left you on that beanstalk because we couldn't trust you." protested the Swan woman. 

"No, you only thought you couldn't. I had full intentions of honoring my part of the bargain, if it meant I'd get to finally go after the crocodile." 

"Pirates have honor?" Hook heard the prince groan. "Don't make me laugh." 

"Oh we have honor. It's just not one most people can appreciate." Hook retorted. 

"Honor among thieves, is that it?" Hook's attention was drawn to the woman who had spoken, Snow White standing next to and actually holding onto Belle's arm. Both women had done their fair share of screaming, Snow White terrified for her friend and her husband. Belle's reasons for screaming were less known to him, Hook figuring at best it was a case of the beauty not caring for any of the violence that had been happening. 

"Something like that." Hook answered Snow White in a cool tone of voice. He didn't appreciate being lumped in with thieves, Hook knowing pirates were in a class of their own. That they were more than your random, every day thugs, a kind of criminal nobility with reasons and motives beyond that of the common thieves, killers, and bandits. 

Rulers of the seas, pirates were free in ways the people of the land could never begin to appreciate. Doing what they liked, taking what or who they wanted, going where they pleased. It was a life like no other, and one not even royalty could match. 

"Doesn't matter." Swan's tone was dismissive, her gun still trained on him. "Honor or not, you've done more bad than good." 

"Are you sure about that, Swan?" Hook asked, his low tone challenging and underlined by a dangerous sounding growl to it. 

"You're a pirate." She said, as if that was all that mattered. And to most people, it was. It was a simple but real truth that most wouldn't be able to look beyond the pirate, to see the individual's worth. Most days Hook didn't care about such attitudes, but with the Swan woman he was disappointed, having thought she'd be a bit more open minded and not so quick to judge. 

Ah well, it didn't matter, he thought to himself, giving the Swan woman a bright and cheery smirk. Hiding how it annoyed him, that of Swan and the other's low opinion of pirates. 

"What is it that you and your friends want so badly, that you felt you had to come barging in on a man and his woman's private moment?" 

The words he used, the way he had phrased the question, triggered a series of protests, the wolf kneeling on the floor the most vehement in her anger. "Belle is NOT your woman." 

"Beg to differ." Even to his own ears, Hook sounded smug. "We have an arrangement." 

"Oh yes, we know all about your arrangement." That from Snow White, the short haired woman barely fighting back a scowl. "And how you have to coerce women to your bed!" 

Hook nearly scowled at that himself. "Don't usually have to. But when an opportunity presents itself...." 

"You're despicable." Swan said, then made a shooing gesture with her gun. Hook was only too glad to step away from the prince and the wolf, watching then as Snow White all but flew to her husband's side. 

"I'll be fine." Hook heard him murmuring, his wife placing trembling fingers to the blood on the prince's chin. 

The wolf, and Hook had known what she was even before she had attacked him, sprang to her feet now. Her eyes looked wild in their anger, SHE looked wild, a feral aura about her that spoke of her eagerness to continue the violence against him. He couldn't resist a snide comment, practically daring the wolf to come hit him once more. 

"You act more like a rabid dog than a wolf." 

"Ruby, no!" Snow White cried out when the wolf took a step towards him. The wolf actually listened, a fact that amazed the pirate. 

"Yes, heel for your master." He said out loud, and the wolf, this Ruby snarled. 

"I listen to my FRIEND, not master." She narrowed her eyes in response to the smirk Hook gave her. "You'd best be wary, pirate." 

"Oh?" Hook arched an eyebrow at her. "And why is that?" 

"Because Belle is my friend as well. And a friend I consider very dear at that!" 

Hook was left wondering if there was more to it then that, thinking the wolf was far too worked up for a mere friend's sake. He made a mental note to ask Belle later about that, even as he mockingly spoke. 

"Is this the part where you tell me, I better not hurt her?" 

"You've already hurt her!" snapped the wolf. 

Though it was foolish of him to take his eyes off a clearly angry wolf, Hook still shifted his glance to Belle. She wasn't quite looking at anyone, at least not enough to make eye contact. But she wasn't staring at the floor either, teetering somewhere between sadness and anger, and a good deal of shame and embarrassment. 

"And for that I am sorry." Hook said without any smirks, without any mockery to his voice. Belle's surprise showed in her eyes, for one quick second the woman actually looking at the pirate. But he was remembering earlier in the day, all the pain he had witnessed, the sad state Belle had been driven to. It was largely his fault, Hook having had to hurt Belle to get what he had wanted. 

"Instead of being sorry, you should just leave her alone!" snapped Ruby, angry and impatient. 

"Afraid I can't do that, pet." Hook retorted. 

"And why not?" It was a demanding question that was voiced by several of the people in the room. 

"A deal's a deal." Was all Hook would say, the pirate in no way feeling as though he owed anyone an explanation, let alone to the ones who had intruded on his ship, intruded and tried to beat him half to death. 

"Break it." Swan ordered him. 

"Did you really come here simply to save Belle from the big bad pirate?" Hook asked, affecting a bored look to his expression. "Or was there something more you be wanting?" 

"Besides the chance to shoot you?" It wasn't stated like a real question, Swan smiling unpleasantly. "No, that would just be a bonus." 

"We're here to find out what you know about Cora." Snow White spoke up from her spot on the floor. 

"Cora? I won't be much help there." 

"If you won't talk..." Swan began, her own voice an ominous growl. 

"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't. I haven't seen Cora since the night we arrived in Storybrooke." Which was a lie of course. But he owed no loyalties to the people here, and everything to the sorceress. 

"And you expect us to believe that?!" Swan snapped in disbelief. Hook merely shrugged, not caring what the blonde did or did not believe. 

"Won't change what's true. We parted ways weeks ago." 

"Weeks?!" Did he imagine the squeak to Swan's voice. "You mean you and Cora have been in Storybrooke for weeks now?" 

"I don't believe it." Snow White muttered. "She would have made her presence felt by now." 

"Takes time to plot a good revenge." Hook said to her. "I should know." 

"There's more you should know than that." The prince said, and shrugged off his wife's attempts to help him stand. It was almost impressive to see the effort the prince made to rise to his feet on his own, although the effect was ruined by the way he seemed to sway in place. "I don't believe for a damn second you don't know more about Cora and her whereabouts." 

"What you want to believe doesn't change what is true." An annoyed Hook snapped. "Cora is gone, and if I was to hazard a guess, I'd say she was with that daughter of hers." 

"Regina." Swan sighed. "She's gone into hiding." 

"Then if you better hurry and find her." Hook advised. "Before Cora does." 

"He's right." Snow White said. "Regina is in a vulnerable state right now. There's no telling what she'd do, what she'd agree to, if Cora were to appear." 

"Glad we can agree on that at least." Hook said, then gave a pointed look. "Now if you don't mind..." 

"We're going to search your ship." Swan announced, to the approval of the others. "Cora might..." 

"Cora is not here." Hook said, more than a little anger and annoyance in his voice. 

"Maybe. Maybe not. But she might have left some clues, something that would help us track her down, or give us an idea of what she's planning." 

"If Cora doesn't want to be found..." Hook began, and the wolf known as Ruby interrupted him. 

"Cora probably didn't take into account that a wolf would be tracking her." She smirked. 

"The trail is weeks old, and what's left of it is being washed away by the storm." Hook pointed out with his own smirk. "You'll have a devil of a time finding her, even without those things to factor in." 

He felt pleased to watch the smirk fade off the wolf's face, her eyes troubled as Ruby nodded her head. "He's right....which is why we have to hurry." 

"Yes, hurry along." Hook made his own shooing gestures towards the door. "No need for either of us to waste each other's time." 

"We'll leave as soon as we're done searching your ship." The Prince said. 

"You're not going to find anything." Hook snapped, his impatience showing. "It wasn't as if we had time to pack before coming here." 

"I still want to look around." The prince insisted. 

"And I still need something of hers to smell." Ruby added. 

"Search all you like." Hook scowled. "It's not as if it will make any difference." 

"We'll find out if that's true, soon enough." muttered Swan, finally holstering her gun. A tension Hook hadn't been aware of, eased out of him now that the gun wasn't tracking his every movement. 

Sour faced, Hook crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the group began spreading though out the bedroom. The wolf, Ruby was handling his things, sniffing at various cloths and fabrics, trying to pick up on something that Cora had worn or touched. Hook knew she wouldn't find anything of Cora's here, even if the sorceress had been stupid enough to leave anything behind. The sorceress had simply never had reason to venture into Hook's bedroom, Cora respecting one of the few boundaries he actually had. 

The prince was also beginning to rifle through Hook's things, but it was clear by his fumbling the man had not a clue what he was looking for. The prince probably believed he would know it when he saw it, but magic was almost never that obvious. 

The prince's daughter, Swan, stood several feet away from Hook. She was frowning, her gaze narrowed and on him, the woman clearly waiting for him to try something. But at least the gun remained in it's holster, the woman not quite as trigger happy as she would have Hook believe. 

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Snow White's movements. He turned to watch her, the short haired woman approaching a detached looking Belle. The raven haired woman would gently lay her hand on Belle's arm, and the brunette reacted, clearly startled. Snow White gave Belle a kind, reassuring smile, speaking softly to her. 

"Let's get you dressed and out of here." Snow White suggested. Belle's pale skin flushed a faint pink, the woman lowering her eyes out of embarrassment. Snow White didn't judge, didn't do or say anything more, except to ask in a helpful tone. "Where did you leave your clothes?" 

Snow White was already casting a look around the room, trying to see if she could spot Belle's clothing among Hook's belongings. 

"I..." Hook braced himself for what Belle was about to say, sure the admittance that she didn't know, that Hook had taken them from her while she showered, would again have the wolf trying to beat him half to death. "I'm staying." 

"You don't need to be around him any more." Snow White said, turning back to Belle. "You don't ever have to see him again, and you don't have to stick around while the ship is searched." 

"We'll walk you home." Added Swan, a brief glance diverted from Hook so the blonde could give a small nod to the brown haired beauty. Hook saw her eyes widen in response to the teary eyed look Belle gave her, the brown haired woman quickly, perhaps angrily brushing at her face. 

"My home was with Rumplestiltskin." Belle announced, a tremulous quiver to her voice. "I don't even have that now." 

Understanding dawned on the mother and daughter's faces, Swan then giving a venom filled look to Hook. 

"Belle....there's other places you can go." Began Snow White, only to be interrupted by Belle. 

"But I WANT to stay HERE." 

Hook felt a genuine surprise go through him, not having expected that at all. And though he wanted to be smug, a suspicion went through him, Hook not believing for a second that Belle was saying this out of any real desire to remain on the ship, or to adhere to the bargain she had made with him.

"You can't be serious." Swan said. 

"She's not." Ruby had stopped searching through Hook's things, speaking as though everything was decided. "And forget about Rumplestiltskin. You'll stay with Granny and me at the inn." 

"No." Belle said, and there was a firmness to her voice. "I won't." 

"What? Why not?!" demanded Ruby, and now she was coming towards Belle and Snow White. "You can't possibly mean to stay here, to honor that sick deal he made with you." Ruby was giving Belle a searching look, the brown haired woman troubled but not flinching back from what was being said. 

"There's such a thing as being too honorable." Swan was heard saying. 

Ruby continued to stare at Belle, and now frustration was blooming in her expression. "Why are you even here now?" She asked, her tone suspicious. 

"I came willingly enough." Belle answered. 

"You mean he didn't coerce you this time?" Snow White asked, but Belle just shrugged her shoulders. 

"Had nowhere else to go...." 

"Well, you have a place now." Ruby insisted, grabbing at Belle's arm. Actually trying to drag her towards the room's broken doorway. 

"I'm still staying, Ruby." Belle insisted, fighting against Ruby dragging her forward. "I have too." 

Ruby stiffened, then dropped her hold on Belle's arm. She turned to stare into Belle's eyes, and Hook didn't know what the wolf saw, what sort of upsetting expression that caused Ruby to snap and bolt from the room. 

"Fine, do what you like." She was heard saying, before she disappeared into the ship's hall. Belle let out a distressed cry, and went limping after Ruby, an all but panicked exclamation issued out of her. 

"Ruby! I can explain!" 

"This I have got to hear." Swan said, and with a nod, she and Snow White hurried after Belle and the wolf. Hook was interested in this explanation himself, but as he moved to follow the women, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. 

"It's time we get some things clear." The prince said when a scowling Hook turned to look his way. 

"OH? And what's that?" Hook asked, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. 

"I don't know what game you're playing with Belle, but you are not going to hurt her any more than you already have." The prince said, practically snarling in Hook's face as he talked. 

"And I suppose this is the part you tell me that you'll hurt me a dozen times worse if I do?" Hook asked, flippant and snide. 

"No, this is the part I show you." The prince said, pulling back and punching Hook. The pirate swore he saw stars, staggering back and swaying on his feet. "I consider Belle a friend. I protect friends, as well as my family." 

"Then we have a problem, mate. Because I'm not about to back down just because some spoiled prince thinks to throw his weight around and bully me about." Hook flashed his teeth in a feral grin. "And in case you haven't noticed, it's just you and me now. No daughter to come to your rescue, no wolf to play tag team with." 

"I don't need help, and I won't need saving this time around." The prince said, bringing up both his fists. The pirate grinned, and made a come and get it gesture with his hook, his good hand making and readying a fist for round two of the fight that was about to happen. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh....it ended up not getting to the part I thought it would but really I need a Belle POV, for her to explain why she wants to stay. (It's the thing I mentioned in an author's note, about how Hook wouldn't know, but the readers would know. XD) Also not sure how I feel about this chapter....I like it, but I guess I worry Hook is being too big an asshole. I dunno...any thoughts or opinions on that? 
> 
> This was also delayed by a few things. The main thing being, and this is my confession now, when I am working on a wip story, I actively reread it several times. I definitely reread every time I go a few weeks/months without a new chapter, or if I worked on a different story during that time period. But I also reread just to refresh my memory of things....I mean I can remember the major things, but sometimes little details escape me. Anyway, I was in the midst of doing a reread to try and get in the mind set to write the Charmings, when unwanted company for my mother showed up. This guy is LOUD, likes to shout when he talks. Which means whenever he shows up I can't read, write, or watch tv, cause hes drowning out the sound and being distracting. So this guy caused me to be delayed on rereading and writing this story. 
> 
> The other thing is...goodness me, I now have four new ideas for Once Upon a Time, three of them Hook belle, two of them inspired by the season finale. One I already started (the stalker fic.) while the others are all going, "Write me, write me" in my brain. It's very hard to write anything when I have so many different scenes in my head. And I still need to update my existing wips! I swear part of it is, I want to start the fics before someone else gets the same idea....it's like a fear, anxiety and compulsion all combined. I wouldn't be surprised if I do start them...and imagine how much worse the ideas would be if the show actually gave us some more Hook Belle interactions?! XD Sometimes I wish I had an off switch in my mind for the creative process...just to have a break from thinking up new story ideas! 
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling from me. Looking forward to any feedback you guys and gals might have for this chapter's contents!
> 
> \---Michelle


	14. Fourteen

For the longest time Belle had been dealing with embarrassments, the humiliation and shame coursing through her at an alarming and frequent rate. They had only spiked stronger within her, when Ruby and the Charming family had made their presence known, actually catching her half naked and with Hook's hand on her bare thigh. Belle had wanted to crawl under some rock, maybe even die from her embarrassment. It was one thing to talk about the things she had had to do with Hook, but it was an entirely different matter to actually be seen in the midst of it. 

It didn't matter that nothing particularly sinful had been happening, that the most wicked thing Hook had been doing was to massage her thigh. Belle was all too aware of how bad it had looked, how she was naked under his shirt, how she shouldn't have even been in his bedroom in the first place. 

And then the fighting had broken out, jarring Belle out of her humiliation, long enough for the woman to scream out her alarm. Snow White's daughter, Emma, put a quick end to the fighting, her gun still smoking as insults and threats and insinuations about the past were exchanged. Things were alluded to between Emma and Hook, things Belle would have normally been quite curious about. 

Instead she had just stood there, detaching herself from the situation. From her feelings and upset, from looking directly at anyone. Belle still listened to all that was being said, still noted how Hook would not be cooperative with the Charmings over their inquiries about the sorceress Cora. Belle saw how the prince and Ruby began searching the room, desperate to find something that would help them in their quest to find and stop the evil queen before she could harm anyone else. 

Slowly, Belle started to come back to herself, to allow herself to feel something other than shame. She was still embarrassed, but she ignored those humiliated feelings to focus on the chance she now had to do something for the Charmings. To seize the opportunity her association with Hook had now offered them all. 

And so, when Snow White, that kind, gentle woman, had tried to help Belle to walk away with some dignity intact, Belle had balked at all efforts. Even Ruby's own insistence that Belle HAD a home, that Belle could stay with her, were tossed aside. Words came from within, distant to Belle's ear, but ringing with a firmness, as she had announced to all present that she had wanted to stay. 

Such a claim had the expected effect, the other women alarmed, dismayed, even horrified. Ruby had tried to deny the reality of it, actually attempting to drag Belle from the room. Belle didn't know what sort of expression she had worn, when she had refused to leave with the red streaked black haired woman, but Ruby had been hurt by it. Hurt, bewildered, even confused, and rightfully so, the woman not at all close to guessing as to why Belle had decided on such a thing. 

Snow White and Emma hadn't come close to understanding either. Belle could remember their frowning faces even as she focused on Ruby, who had bolted for the bedroom's exit. Belle had felt another moment of real panic, hurrying after her friend as best she could, shouting at the top of her lungs, that she could explain. 

Those words didn't slow Ruby down at all, the woman speeding away as though she had forgotten about the search. Belle was vaguely aware of being followed, but she didn't stop to see who was hot on her heels. She was too busy limping after Ruby, well aware that her hurt ankle was protesting all this vigorous activity. 

It was difficult to catch up with a wolf under normal circumstances. It was made worse when that wolf was upset and actively avoiding you. It became downright impossible with an injury, Belle making a pained sound and stopping to lean against the hallway's wall. 

Shadows fell over her, Emma Swan and Snow White proving to be the ones who had followed. There was no sign of the prince, or the pirate, and that was troubling given the men's animosity towards one another. But Snow White and her daughter didn't seem to have much concern for the prince, as though they were confidant he would ultimately win in a fight with the pirate. Belle wished she could feel that same belief, but too many disappointments and let downs had happened to her in too short a time. 

"Shouldn't..." Belle began, and Snow White interrupted her. 

"He'll be fine." She assured her, and gave Belle a strained smile. "We're more worried about you..." 

"What are you thinking?!" Demanded Emma with her hands on her hips. "Why would you want to stay here, and with Hook of all people?!" 

"I don't." Belle said, watching as Emma frowned. "But I HAVE to." 

"Have to?" repeated Emma, giving a shake of her head. "You're not without options. Ruby herself, has already said you can come stay with her and Granny." 

"You're not homeless or without hope." Snow White added. "So why?" 

"I understand that, NOW." Belle stated. She wasn't about to admit to how panicked and desperate she had been earlier, or to just how stupidly she had reacted to all that had been happening, or that she had been ready to curse herself rather then deal with her life as it now was. "But there's more at stake here than just me." 

The mother and daughter exchanged looks, but understanding had yet to dawn. "Hook is never going to admit to anything about Cora. At least not to you." 

"But you think he will share that with you?" Emma sounded doubtful. 

"He's already made some off hand remarks about her. Little things here and there, nothing we can use to find her...nothing YET that is." Belle explained. "But maybe if given time, and the chance to speak with him alone..." 

"We might not even have that time." Snow White said with a sigh. "Cora wants to kill us, and to worm her way back into her daughter's life." 

"She hasn't done either yet." Belle pointed out. 

"And that's troubling, that she's waited this long." admitted Snow White. 

"Every second matters." Belle stated. "As long as Cora is waiting, that gives you, ME, the time needed to find out vital information from Hook." 

"I don't like this." Emma said, and Snow White was nodding. "I don't like the idea of you in his clutches for any period of time or for any reason, even if it's to help us stop a monster like Cora." 

"Sometimes we have to sacrifice...." Belle began, and Emma interrupted her. 

"Haven't you sacrificed enough?" 

Belle lowered her gaze for one brief moment. "I have, but...But I don't want to lose anyone else!" She was agitated with that admission. "I have so few relationships left, so few people I can call friend and count on. I don't know what I would do if Cora succeeded in killing you all." 

"That is why..." She continued, near begging with not just her words but her eyes. "I have to do this. I have to do whatever I can to help. Even if it means sleeping with the enemy." 

"Are you sure..." Emma fell quiet at Snow White's touch on her arm. 

"Thank you, Belle. You're more courageous than most give you credit for." 

Belle tried not to sniffle and grow teary eyed at what Snow White had just said. "Thank you." She whispered, and Snow White gave her a smile. 

"I'll go catch up with Ruby." The short haired woman said. "She may not like it either, but she has to understand the real reason why you're doing this." 

"Thank you." Belle repeated, this time giving Snow White as grateful a smile as she could manage. Snow White nodded once more, than took off running, quickly disappearing down the ship's dark hallway. 

Belle was left with Emma, the blonde still frowning and shaking her head in disbelief. "It'll be okay." Belle said to her, and stood up straighter. Emma immediately gave Belle a hand, helping the injured brunette to limp in the direction Snow White had gone. 

"I wouldn't be able to do it." Emma said out loud as they walked. "That pirate's too much a perv. Not to mention a complete and utter bastard." 

"I can't say I could give convincing arguments against either point..." Belle murmured, and Emma nearly laughed in response. 

"Yeah, you would know, wouldn't you." Emma sighed then. "I still can't believe what a mess this all is. Hook AND Cora were supposed to be stuck in that other world..." 

"Just what went on over there?" Belle asked, genuinely curious. 

"A lot of betrayal, death, and frantic running around." Emma grimaced. "Hook and Cora were ruthless in their quest to get to Storybrooke. And don't let that pirate fool you. He wasn't about to not backstab us, and hand over the compass to Cora." 

"Is that why you left him on the...what was it...?" 

"Beanstalk." supplied Emma. "And yes. I couldn't trust him. I still don't..." She wagged a finger at Belle. "And you shouldn't for a minute trust him either. He's self serving under the best of circumstances....I wouldn't want to see what he would do with his back against the wall...." 

Belle shivered at that, wondering just how bad things could have gotten for Rumplestiltskin AND herself, if Hook had gotten that desperate. 

"I'll be careful." She said out loud, but Emma had noticed her shivery reaction. 

"There's still time..." The blonde said. "I mean, we could always beat the answers out of him...." 

"Don't you think Hook is the sort that he would refuse to answer the worse you did to him?" Belle wondered. 

"Maybe. But I won't lie and say I wouldn't enjoy hurting him. And not just me!" But Emma sighed when Belle didn't so much as smile at the thought. 

"It'll be all right." Belle said out loud, in an attempt to reassure them both. "It's just sex he wants. It's not even about me, but about hurting Rumplestiltskin." 

"Doesn't mean you don't hurt all the same." Emma pointed out, and Belle could only shrug in response for it was true. 

"Belle...if at any time you want to stop this..." Emma began, but a shout rang out. The blonde woman immediately reacted, shoving Belle behind her, even as she drew her gun out of it's holster. 

"That was Snow White!" Belle exclaimed from behind Emma. 

More shouting was heard, and then Snow White came out of the darkness, out of breath and excited. "We found something!" 

"We?" 

"Well...Ruby. She sniffed him out." Snow White said. 

"Him? Him who?" Emma demanded. 

"Go on and see." Snow White said, gesturing them ahead of her. "I'll go round up the boys, and see what Hook has to say about this..." 

Belle and Emma exchanged puzzled looks, but moved to walk the way Snow White had come from. Soon they were topside on the rain drenched ship, unable to miss the excitement of Ruby dealing with a very agitated man. 

"Who..." Belle started to say, but Emma was already stepping forward. 

"Anton!" The blonde woman cried out, and the man turned. Belle took in the sight of him, the man round in shape, with dark curly hair. His eyes lit up with recognition when he saw the blonde, and for one second he looked happy to see her. And then something happened, his expression falling, the man starting to shout again. 

"Oh no....oh no...." He was saying, even as Emma hurried towards him. "That witch did this! That witch made me little!" 

"Little?" Belle asked, confused. 

"This is Anton." Emma said, her hands held up in a placating gesture. "The giant from the top of the beanstalk." 

"Giant no more..." He moaned in grief. 

"Cora has to be the witch he mentioned." Ruby said. "But why would she bring him here?" 

"I have no idea." Emma admitted. "Where did you find him?" 

Ruby's gaze slid over to an uncovered cage, and Belle's jaw dropped open in shock. Emma's expression hardened to see where the giant had been kept, the blonde woman actually muttering something nasty about putting a bullet in the sorceress. 

"It'll be okay." Belle said out loud, since no one was saying anything more to calm the upset former giant. "We'll help you...somehow..." 

"What can you do..." Anton moaned. "You're all little people....evil..." 

"Hey now!" protested Emma, and Anton made a reluctant amendment. 

"Well except for you...." 

Belle knew there was a story there, but she couldn't begin to guess at what had really gone on at the top of the beanstalk. She also knew now wasn't the time to get the full story, not with all that was going on, the least of which being soothing the upset former giant. 

"You'll find there are a lot of nice people in Storybrooke." Emma was saying to the giant. Anton didn't look like he believed her, giving Belle and Ruby distrusting looks. The blonde woman would pull him aside, talking quietly to him as Ruby approached Belle. 

"Hey." She said, but Ruby didn't quite smile, her expression troubled. "I'm...I'm sorry for about earlier. For getting so upset and running out on you." 

"It's all right." Belle was quick to reassure her. "It's no wonder you got upset. You couldn't know what I was thinking, the reason why I was saying I wanted to stay." 

"Still I should have given you the chance to explain." Ruby said. 

"I can do that now....that is, if Snow White hasn't already filled you in?" Belle asked. 

"She's told me enough. Can't say I like this idea." Ruby frowned. "The thought of you submitting to that pirate's perversions....well let's just say ripping his face off is the more mild a response I have had to such a thought." 

"My way is less....bloody." Belle tried to make light of it. 

"You're going to get hurt...Hurt even worse than you already are." pointed out Ruby. "And it's not too late to back out..." 

"But I won't." Belle insisted. "If I can help by doing this...." 

"This noble but ultimately stubborn streak is probably the same thing that caused you to decide to willingly go with Rumplestiltskin." complained Ruby with a sigh. 

"But Hook is no Rumplestiltskin." Belle pointed out. "Not even close." 

"Can tell you Hook won't react any better to betrayal than Rumplestiltskin would." Ruby was adamant when she said this. 

"I'll be far out of his reach before he learns of it." But Belle still shivered. She wasn't sure if this counted as a betrayal of Hook, but she was in effect using him. And not even telling herself that Hook was using her in turn, was enough to make Belle feel better about the whole situation. 

"Besides..." Belle continued out loud. "Considering the way the four of you were all eager to hurt him, Hook would be a fool to try and retaliate in any way against me..." 

"I'd bite off his other hand for so much as thinking it." Ruby smirked, than sobered. "All the good it will do if he makes a move long before we can protect you." 

"Ruby..." 

"I'm not saying this to scare you..." Ruby said, then sighed. "Okay, maybe I am just a little. But I want you to understand each and every possible risk." 

"I do understand." Belle insisted. "And thank you." She added, giving Ruby a quick hug. A bewildered Ruby returned the hug, but anything she could say was lost to the sound of the new arrivals. Ruby immediately stiffened as she caught sight of Hook over Belle's shoulder, the man loudly insisting he knew nothing and had nothing to do with the giant on his ship. 

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Prince Charming was asking. 

"Believe what you like, it's the truth." Hook retorted. Belle turned in time to see him cross his arms over his bare chest, his scowl as sour as the one the prince wore. Both men looked pretty bedraggled, the prince's shirt torn, flecks of blood on him and the pirate. Belle wouldn't be surprised if both men didn't end up nursing black eyes, and she gave a brief look at Snow White, amazed the woman had managed to somehow stop the fighting. 

Snow White for her part, merely shrugged her shoulders. Belle wasn't sure what to make of that gesture, but before she could voice anything out loud, the former giant shouted. 

"YOU!" 

The prince gave Hook a knowing look, his split lips smug in their smile. "You still going to pretend you don't know anything about him?" 

The prince barely finished what he was saying, before Anton was on him. Belle, along with everyone else present, reacted in shock, to watch the former giant punch the prince. 

"HEY!" Emma shouted, as Snow White let out a scream of her own, rushing to help her husband. Ruby was moving forward, pandemonium close to breaking out. Hook inched back, making no effort to help the women break up the fight between the prince and the giant. 

It took all three women to pull Anton off of the prince, and even then the women were clearly struggling. Badly wanting to help, Belle moved to assist them, when Hook sidled up to her, and snagged her about the waist. 

"No use getting caught up in the fuss." He said. 

"I can help." Belle insisted, but even to her own ears that sounded lame. 

"Not without hurting your ankle further." Hook frowned at her, Belle wondering if that was honest concern she saw in his blue eyes. It couldn't be, she decided frowning at him in return. 

"What do you care?" Belle demanded, trying to pull away. The pirate's expression darkened, but any snide comment he could have made was lost to Anton's shouting. 

"Let me go! He's got to pay!" 

"Anton!" That was Emma, shouting over the giant. "What is this all about?!" 

"It's him!" Anton was infuriated, glaring at the prince with murder in his eyes. "It's all because of him!" 

"What is because of him?!" 

"It's because of that...that murdering liar, that my family is dead!" Anton screamed, and there was pain in that exclamation. "Let me go, I have to avenge them!" 

"What are you talking about?!"The prince was asking. "I've never seen you before, or any giant for that matter! Let alone killed one!" 

"I saw you with my own eyes!" Anton was saying. "You and Jack, in order to take the beans. You killed my family, my father, all my brothers!" 

"That's not possible..." Emma trailed off at the shocked look on the prince's face. "Is it...?" 

"It wasn't me." He breathed out, and Snow White nodded. "It was him....it was my twin brother...." 

Belle wasn't the only one surprised to hear about the prince having a twin, even Hook looked stunned. 

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked, and her father sighed. 

"It's a long story...." 

"We've got the time." smirked Hook, which earned him a withering glare from the prince. 

"Enough! I won't listen to your lies!" Anton shouted, and broke free of the women. He quickly had the prince on the run, the former giant chasing the prince up and down the length of the ship in an attempt to wring his neck. 

"Wait, Anton, wait!" Emma was pleading. 

"Please, just hear him out!" added Snow White. 

"Why should I!?" demanded Anton, taking a wild swing at the prince. 

"Please....! He's my father!" Emma cried out in a strained voice. That startled the former giant into stopping, the man turning to look at the blonde haired woman. 

"Your father? You? The only nice little person I've ever met, related to the most evil of men I've ever had the misfortune to trust?" 

"I'm not evil!" The prince cried out. 

"He's not!" added Snow White, and Ruby was nodding. 

"The prince is one of the kindest, bravest, most heroic men I've ever known." 

"Please Anton...." Emma pleaded. "What harm could it do to listen to him?" 

Anton was clearly reluctant, but nodded all the same. "You have five minutes." Leaving them all to wonder if five minutes would be enough time for the truth to be revealed. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I stopped it when I did, a big part cause I don't remember all the details surrounding why Charming wasn't raised with his brother. I remember most of the story around it, but I think I need to go refresh my memory, or find some synopsis online or something. Unless someone wants to remind me in the review section why Charming was sent to live as a poor shepherd boy? That's the detail I'm real fuzzy about. =/ 
> 
> I'm actually imagining for next chapter, like a small time skip where it's Hook and Belle alone, and a chatty Hook is marveling out loud to Belle all that was revealed. We shall see....Anton was a part that also had me worrying big time, cause I wasn't sure how to handle the finding of him, and then his anger and misunderstanding over Charming's identity. See I want a lot of season two to be playing out in the background. Not that I intend to devote the whole fic to writing out season two, but I didn't want Hook and Belle to exist in a vacumn that had nothing happening to anyone else. 
> 
> Course...I thought my time skip of three days, would have already happened by now, but I can't complain even if it feels like it's taking forever to get to that! 
> 
> Chapter was delayed mainly cause I've been having really bad sleep these last few days, (Damn cats taking turns waking me up for snuggles) and then the bad sleep turned into insomnia. I tried to work on this and something else Hook Belle related, and let's just say I was too mentally exhausted to really write. It wasn't until today, that I trashed my two attempts (Only a few paragraphs each) and got a start to this chapter, that flowed almost non stop from start to finish into the written word. So I'm happy with this chapter! Whoo hoo! 
> 
> Laters!
> 
> \----Michelle


	15. Fifteen

In the end it had taken more than five minutes for the prince to tell his story. Fortunate for him was that the story was such with it's many twists and turns, that the one time giant had been caught, held mesmerized by the tale. Even Hook could admit to being fascinated by the story, listening to the ups and downs of a true rags to riches tale, complete with a heavy helping of true love. 

Hook marveled at the fortune the prince, whose birth name had been David, had seen. And though the prince had suffered at times, the good had far outweighed the bad. Hook was almost jealous of the man, a one time lowly Shepard's boy who had been handed a kingdom, along with it's wealth and power. As if that wasn't enough, he had gotten true love, and though the prince and Snow White still strove for their happy ending, at least they were alive and together to enjoy the pursuit of it. 

Hook was not blind. He had seen the way Snow White looked at her prince. It was a look he was familiar with, though it had been hundreds of years since such an adoring look of love had been directed Hook's way. And the pirate was certain he would die long before he ever got the chance to receive such a look once more. 

It put him in a melancholy mood, the kind in which Hook would normally lose himself to drink. Hook would and had in the past, downed bottle after bottle, the type of drink not mattering so long as he could numb the worst of his pain. Numb it but not vanquish it completely, but at least Hook was then able to think back on his memories of Milah and NOT try to kill himself out of grief. 

Of course, it had been years since he had an audience for that kind of behavior. Years since Hook had driven off most of his crew, and years since he had had let revenge consume him so completely so that he was able to ignore most of his pain. He still had no crew NOW, and though his revenge was technically completed, Hook found the long buried memories resurfacing on a wave of sheer envy. 

With this kind of mood, it was even easier to sympathize with Belle. With the upset that had driven her earlier, in the attempt to destroy herself. Their pain was similar, both suffering broken hearts. Where grief ended, so too did the similarities, Hook not forgetting he was cause for a fair chunk of Belle's pain. 

Hook told himself often, that what he was doing, would work in the girl's favor in the long run. That getting her away from Rumplestiltskin, really was the best thing anyone could do for Belle. He usually believed it too, even when faced with how distraught Belle had been rendered by her losses. 

But any doubt he might feel, Hook refused to dwell on. Belle was HIS now, by right of the deal they had made. Hook was simply too selfish to free her, despite the numerous attempts the prince had made, to beat reason into the pirate. 

It wasn't just that Hook was selfish and greedy. He needed someone in his life. Someone to give him a purpose. With Milah dead, and Rumplestiltskin no longer the driving force behind everything that Hook did, the pirate was all but aimless. He hadn't even expected to be alive this late in the game, and Hook knew not one thing about living a life in Storybrooke. 

It fell on Belle to give Hook his a new life's purpose. Certainly she excited him, arousing passions and lusts long thought dead with Milah. And the fact that every time he touched Belle, it sunk daggers deeper into Rumplestiltskin's blackened heart, was merely icing on his cake. 

Hook had long been without any real relationships. No friends, and no lovers, the best he had was a shaky alliance with Cora. Hook didn't yet realize that he had cheated himself out of much, by giving in to his unrelenting grief. Nor did he realize that in taking Belle for himself, he was in effect opening up to the chance of a realm of possibilities. 

He wasn't wanting love. Wasn't even looking for it. And the way the night had shaped up, the mood Hook had been put in by the prince's story, simply made Hook all the more determined to do one of two things. Get rip roaring drunk, or bury his pain in Belle's sweet body. If he was ambitious enough, he would try for both, but the growl from Belle's empty stomach had them both first retreating to the ship's galley. 

The Jolly Roger's galley was simple in design, doubling as both a kitchen and a place to dine. There were several tables, in addition to the one where most of the food preparation took place. Belle had followed Hook to it, taking a seat for herself as she watched him move about the kitchen area. 

Enjoying the fact the Belle's eyes were upon him, Hook busied himself with preparing a plate of cold meats, which had been dried and salted for preservation purposes. There was bread too, not fresh but several days old. Someone would have to bake more before a fresher fare could be had, but for now the slightly stale bread was more than adequate. 

"Eat up." Hook said, placing the plate down before Belle. If she had thought to be stubborn about it this time too, it was quickly beat down by the starving growl of her complaining stomach. With the faintest dusting of color on her cheeks, Belle began to nibble on the bread. Hook in turn, made no move towards the food, instead pulling out a large bottle of brandy, and plunking it down on the table. 

Without asking, he poured a glass for Belle, and then proceeded to drink straight from the bottle. Still nibbling, Belle watched him as he swallowed several mouthfuls in quick succession. 

"You're....you're not going to eat?" She guessed correctly. Slowly licking his lips clean of the brandy's remains, Hook nodded. She frowned, her eyes directing a glance at the rather large bottle, before asking another question. "Are you sure that's wise? To drink that much on an empty stomach?" 

"Darling, my stomach's made of sterner stuff than most. It'll take a lot more than this, to get me sick." Hook answered. 

"Perhaps you getting sick is not what I was worried about," Belle managed to look him in the eyes when she said that. 

Hook didn't try to hide his smile. "Ah, there is that. But I don't need to be drunk to want you, or to take what I so desire." He had the satisfaction of watching her color bloom, the blush bright on her cheeks. 

"Then why drink at all?" Belle finally asked. 

Hook took another swallow of the brandy, thinking about what to say. Hook wasn't sure he wanted to confess to the mood that had overtaken him, or to the fact that he was remembering Milah, maybe even missing her. 

"The prince's story, was something, was it not?" He said instead. "A proper adventure, good vs. evil, with a heaping helping of true love." 

"I didn't think King George was truly evil." Belle protested. "Just crazy and misguided, grieving the son he had raised and lost." 

"King George wasn't the evil I mentioned." Hook's words had Belle frowning. 

"I'd hardly paint Rumplestiltskin as the villain of the prince's story!" 

"I didn't expect you to. Still I wonder what he could possibly have gotten, making such deals with old George, and the prince." Hook watched as Belle fidgeted and looked away. It was that that let the pirate know the woman knew more than what she was saying. 

"I never really understood it." Hook continued out loud. "The reason behind the Dark One's deal making. For what purpose could Rumplestiltskin possibly have, to interfere in so many lives, to take and give on a indiscriminating whim. With his power, he could have been ruling the kingdoms, rather than staying in the shadows, making those deals." 

Belle still said nothing, and for now the brandy was all but forgotten. "Take King George for example. Why would Rumplestiltskin care if the man had no heirs? Why would he bother to find and buy a baby for him, and then again, come for the other when the first son was killed?" 

"Didn't he always make deals?" Belle asked in a strained voice. 

"Not when he first became the Dark One." Hook told her. "Oh I heard the stories. Of how he was terrorizing not only his village, but the ones nearest to it. Some would say he had gone mad with power, riding high on bullying those around him. Certainly he didn't care to help anyone but himself and it wasn't as if anyone had anything that he could want." 

Hook could see Belle trying not to fidget, the girl busy making a sandwich out of the cold meats and stale bread. 

"Hurts does it?" Hook asked her, a touch of sympathy in his voice. "To hear how much of a bastard he was, even in those early days?" 

"He...he wasn't..." 

"But he was." insisted Hook. "There's too many people who said so for it not to be true." 

"But they don't know him like I do." Belle protested. 

"Maybe it's you who don't know him." Hook retorted. "After all, could a good man, a loving man, rip out the heart of the woman he once held as wife?" She looked down at that, and Hook marveled at how much Belle had blinded herself to the real Rumplestiltskin. "Even if it was a moment of irrational jealousy, it was still brutal, and wicked, and murderous. He didn't even have to think, just thrust his hand into her....." 

"Stop it." Belle pleaded softly. 

"Ripped her heart right out, and crushed it straight after." 

"Stop." Belle said again, louder this time. 

"She didn't even have time to scream." continued Hook, and now Belle slammed her hands down on the wood table. 

"Stop it!" Her eyes blazed, the hurt and anger both equally showing in her fierce glare. 

"Can't block out the truth of what he did." Hook retorted. 

"What is the point of this?!" Belle demanded in a strangled tone. "You've won. You've gotten what you wanted, that revenge on him. Rumplestiltskin no longer wants anything to do with me. You've hurt and made him miserable, not to mention hurt ME as well." 

Hook stared at her a long moment, and then felt the urge to let out a downright hysterical laugh. "You still love him." He said out loud, and reached for the bottle once more. Belle stared at him shocked, her lush lips parting on a breath. 

"Of course I do." She finally said, watching him begin to drink fast and furiously from the brandy bottle. "Nothing that's happened, nothing you say or do, has changed that...." 

"A man could take that as a challenge." Hook said dangerously. He watched the nervous swallow that she did, Belle seeming to lose some of her fire and spirit. But she didn't back down, squaring her shoulders before speaking. 

"Do as you will." 

Hook set down the brandy bottle, prepared to actually jump over the table to get to her. Belle watched him, cautious but downright defiant as she stood her ground. 

"Just know." Belle said, and her next words had him freezing, before he could begin the jump. "That no matter what you do, it won't change my opinion or my love for him." 

"Is that a fact...?" Hook asked, and then was smashing the brandy bottle against the wall behind her. Belle flinched at the violence, but did not so much as voice a scream. Hook stared at her a long moment, before reaching up to run his hand through his hair. "Sooner or later..." He said. "You are going to have to face the facts. Rumplestiltskin not only does evil, he IS evil." 

"Never." 

"Never is not as long a time as you would believe." Hook snapped. She didn't relax, not even when Hook pulled out another bottle, this time one full of clear colored whisky. But she sat when he did, picking up the remains of her sandwich, her eyes on Hook. 

"I'm sorry that you hurt...." She began, and Hook scoffed at that. "But sooner or later, you have to let go of your pain. Or else it will eat you up alive." 

"It already has." Hook told her. "I've had years with it." He popped the cork off the whiskey bottle, but didn't immediately set to drinking from it. "Just how long have you actually been with Rumplestiltskin?" 

Hook knew he had asked her a difficult question, when Belle shifted and avoided his gaze. "What does it matter?" She asked, fingers breaking off the crust of her sandwich. 

"You're not that old." Hook said in response. "Even with the curse freezing you for twenty eight years. And I know you've spent some time as the Queen's prisoner." 

"So....?" 

"So I'm wondering just how much time you could have spent with him to have such a strong, supposedly unshakeable faith in the man." Belle still avoided looking at him, Hook hiding another smirk. "Must have been pretty short a time..." 

"And why would you think that?"" Belle asked. 

"Because otherwise, Rumplestiltskin wouldn't have been able to maintain that good image you have of him." 

She frowned, but wouldn't admit to anything. "Do we have to keep talking about this?" Belle asked. 

"We don't." Hook agreed. "Instead we can talk about why you chose to stay here with me instead of leaving with your friends." 

She clearly didn't like this topic any more than the last one, Belle maintaining her frowning disposition. "We have a deal in place." 

"A deal your friends are quick to break." retorted Hook. "Are you really that honorable?" He paused, then nodded. "Of course you are. You did stay and honor the agreement you had made with the Dark One." 

"And what do you know about THAT?" Belle asked. 

"Don't you think I did my research? I knew who you were, and what you had agreed to long before I broke into your cell in the Queen's tower." Hook began drinking from the whiskey bottle. "Though what I couldn't have known, was how loyal you'd be to him. Let alone imagine that you, that anyone could fall in love with that monster." 

"But I did. And I uphold my bargains, even to a scoundrel like you." Belle retorted. 

"Which was good for Rumplestiltskin, and for me. But maybe not so for you." Hook mused. "Still I appreciate it, your sacrificing nature, even if Rumplestiltskin does not." 

"You've talked and asked a lot about me and Rumplestiltskin..." Belle began. "But what about you and Milah" 

"What about us?" Hook asked, instantly on guard. 

"Well how could you do it?" Belle asked. "How could you steal another man's wife, even if she was so unhappy with him?" 

"In case you missed it love, I AM a pirate." Hook answered. 

"How could I ever forget." muttered Belle, then she spoke louder. "All right then, forget about why you did it. What about her? What kind of woman abandons her family? Not just her husband, but a young son?" 

"She was desperate." Hook answered. "Her life wasn't anything that she wanted, aside from her son. She wanted a way out, and I provided her one." 

"She comes off as selfish." Belle's words had Hook's eyes narrowing in response. "And uncaring." 

"Careful sweet, you tread dangerous waters with this line of thought." 

"You don't like hearing her maligned." noted Belle. "Then imagine how I feel, every time you speak ill of Rumplestiltskin." 

"There's a big difference between them. Milah may have not been a complete innocent, but at least her hands are free of most evils. Where as the evil I speak about Rumplestiltskin? It is the complete and utter truth." 

"It's the truth as you believe it." Belle insisted. 

"That's the funny thing about it. There's more who would back up my claim about Rumplestiltskin and his misdeeds, than those that would defend him. In fact, I dare say you are about the only one who believes in him. What makes your truth any more real, than what the rest of us perceive?" 

She didn't have a ready answer for him, Belle averting her eyes. Hook leaned forward on the table, his movements catching her attention. "Face it love. The longer you deny his true nature, the harder it will end up being for you." 

"And you are so big on sparing me these hurts?" A sarcastic edge lent bite to her words. 

"I hate to see a beautiful woman cry." Hook answered honest enough. "Especially over the likes of him." It was true too. He had after all, born witness to more than his fair share of tears, Milah weeping over everything from the abandonment of her son, to even over the man Rumplestiltskin had once been. Milah had been hurt by the coward, long before Rumplestiltskin had ever put a fist through her chest. 

Remembering Milah's sobbing, Hook once again told himself he was actually doing Belle a great favor. That she was better off without Rumplestiltskin. But Hook couldn't lie and say she was better off with HIM. Not yet at least. Maybe not ever, given the icy look Belle was currently giving him. 

They were still a long way from settling into any kind of acceptable life together. Belle most likely hated him, rightfully blaming Hook for her problems. He couldn't even fault her for that, Hook knowing it had been cruel, and downright underhanded, the way he had gone about getting Belle in his bed. But even knowing that, wasn't enough to make Hook reconsider what he was doing to her. It was a necessary evil for the sake of his and Milah's revenge. 

Milah. She was still heavy on his mind, the ghost of her haunting him this eve. Nothing that had been said in the galley's kitchen, had done much to free him of her, Hook's memories stirred. That melancholy feeling persisted, followed up by sorrow, Hook reaching for the whiskey bottle. 

"Help yourself to anything you like in here." His tone was gruff, as he sauntered past Belle. He heard her start to ask, the woman wondering where he was going, but Hook gave her no answer. Was it because he couldn't explain, or because he didn't want too? But either way, he was off. To drink and to remember, and to wallow in his misery. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um....okay this chapter kinda spiraled out of control of my vague plans. Not sure I like this one, worry it's too weird. What do you guys and gals think? *worry worry* 
> 
> Also, a note....as to why Belle didn't start fishing for info about Cora. Mainly the reasoning is, she didn't want him to get suspicious and catch on to why she really stayed, if she started asking him all kinds of things about Cora right away. 
> 
> Not much to say for an author's note. No rewriting was done for this chapter, so that's a relief at least! Whoo! And not to spoil completely, smut wasn't on the menu for this chapter or the future ones, but now I'm sorta tempted to...because of how this chapter went. or sorta smut. We'll see. If I go for the sorta smut, it means one more chapter delaying the three day time skip. 
> 
> Actually I do seem to have something to say. I googled Prince Charming, and found a wiki page to refresh my memory. Boy did I forget a lot of that stuff! Geeze! Thank god for the memory refresher! XD 
> 
> Also...I realized while proof reading, I forgot to have Hook muse privately on something regarding Anton! Damn....but I can have Belle think about it in the next chapter. *slapping self for forgetting something important like that.*
> 
> Laters!
> 
> \------------Michelle


	16. Sixteen

It wasn't exactly what Belle would have called an odd conversation, but it had been tense, almost confrontational. There had been a real moment of fear, a moment when Hook had looked at her, his dark gaze holding a flame of anger to it, and glittering with some dangerous intentions. A moment where Belle had suspected he was about to lunge at her, though as to what Hook would have done once he had grabbed a hold of her, she couldn't have guessed. 

She wasn't even sure why it had bothered him, her insistence that she still loved Rumplestiltskin. Her insistence and her claims, Belle defiant as she told Hook nothing that he said or did, would ever make her change her mind or her heart in that matter. It wasn't as if that love she still had, was going to change anything. Rumplestiltskin had abandoned her, and Belle was still stuck, seemingly trapped in the deal she had made with the pirate. 

Nowhere closing to understanding the pirate, or what else motivated him aside from his desire for revenge, Belle had been relieved when Hook had ultimately decided to walk out of the kitchen. He had taken the whisky bottle with him, a fact that left Belle uneasy. She in no way wanted to have to deal with a drunk and belligerent Hook, worried more over what he would do than anything he might say. After all, what words could be worse than the ones Hook had already spoken, the man insisting that Rumplestiltskin was evil? 

Belle didn't like hearing that. Not just from Hook, but from anyone. And there had been many, the people of the Enchanted Realm frightened, downright terrified of Rumplestiltskin and all he had done. What he could still do, Belle knowing with the Dark One's power, Rumplestiltskin was capable of anything. But just as she knew that, Belle also knew that goodness she believed in, is what kept Rumplestiltskin from being a complete monster. 

Strong as her belief was, it was wearing on her nerves to listen to Hook's constant claims. Most people wouldn't have had the nerve, fearing word would somehow get back to Rumplestiltskin. But Hook wasn't like most people. the man all nerves and daring, attempting and doing much in his quest for revenge. 

That revenge had a real reason, a name behind it. Milah. Belle wondered about her, wondered what kind of woman she really had been. Wondered how she had inspired such great feelings in both men, Hook insane with the need for revenge, Rumplestiltskin crazed in the face of Milah's betrayal. Belle thought both men must have loved Milah a great deal, though a troubled part of her couldn't understand how Rumplestiltskin had been able to do what he had done. There was no real way to justify crushing a woman's heart, actually killing off the one you had once loved. Belle wondered if she had the whole and true story, if she could ever find out just what had happened, without Hook or Rumplestiltskin's bias tainting the tale. 

Belle didn't know much about Milah, save to know the woman was cause of a great deal of hurt for both men. Rumplestiltskin had never truly talked about his dead wife, save to warn Belle away from Hook. And Hook? While the pirate was quick to spill details about the woman's death, he hadn't really said much about the life he had had with Milah. 

Of course Belle had yet to pry too deeply. The one time she had asked about Milah, Belle had been angry. Trying to antagonize Hook almost as much as he did her, with his talk of Rumplestiltskin's evilness. It seemed to have been working, at least on some level, Hook bothered enough to walk out rather than continue their sniping attempts at a conversation. 

Belle couldn't truly mind that she was left on her own. Not with a plate of tempting meats and slightly stale bread. It was a break from less pleasant things, and after the day she had been having, a relief to be able to just sit there and process her thoughts. Process and plan things, Belle knowing that sooner rather than later, she would have to somehow pry what tidbits she could, about Cora and her whereabouts, from the pirate. 

Belle would have liked to have started immediately on that task, but she was rightfully cautious. Hook hadn't been forthcoming at all, even with the prince and Ruby willing to beat the information out of the pirate. Belle knew Hook was already suspicious as to why she had stayed, rather than leave with Ruby. He'd reveal nothing if he so much as suspected Belle was trying to get out of him, some bit of information that the Charming family could use, to find and defend against Cora. 

It was going to take time. Belle could only pray that it wouldn't be so much time as for the sorceress to finally make her move. Otherwise all would be for naught, the Charmings dead, Storybrooke in danger or worse. One evil Queen in residence was bad enough, but heaven help them all should mother and daughter join forces together. 

Shivering, Belle wondered just where Hook fit into the scheme of things. Was his alliance with Cora really at an end, or was he playing at distracting them all, while the sorceress had free rein over all of Storybrooke? If it was the latter, and Hook really was working with Cora, didn't that make the pirate evil? Maybe not as evil as he claimed Rumplestiltskin to be, but it was still frightening. Disturbing even, to think of being in the bed of someone who was that bad. 

Of course Hook had never claimed to be good, but now it was hitting home to Belle just what the pirate could be. No wonder Ruby and the Charming family had balked at the idea of Belle remaining on the pirate's ship, and even more so at the thought of Belle tricking Hook in this way! Even Belle felt nervous at what could happen, what Hook might do if he came to suspect her true motivations. But Belle wasn't going to let her fears stop her from going through with it, from helping the Charmings. 

To that end she decided to use the fact that Hook had left her all alone, to go exploring. She wouldn't start in the galley's kitchen, tempting though all that food was. Belle simply didn't think a clue or anything of Cora's would be hidden among the galley's stores of food. But problematic enough, Belle wasn't sure where else she should check in her search. Belle also wasn't sure how long she'd be able to avoid Hook, though she had an excuse ready should they encounter each other during her explorations. 

Belle didn't think Hook would for one second believe she'd look for HIM. But her clothes? The ones Hook had taken, the ones which had to have dried by now? That was another story. It would be no lie to claim she was looking for them, not when Belle would feel better to have them rather then continue to wear Hook's shirt. It was embarrassing to traipse about, wearing nothing but something of the pirate's, and with nothing underneath it for modesty's sake. 

Thus armed with an excuse that was mostly truth, Belle began walking in a slow, limping manner about the ship. She didn't try to go top side, finding there was plenty to explore below deck. She had no real idea of the size of the ship, but the deeper she went, and the more rooms she checked, Belle came away with two thoughts. The Jolly Roger was a ship that was immense in size, not to mention a lonely place to live when so many of the rooms were empty. 

Not that Belle wanted to be around any more pirates! But she couldn't help but wonder if Hook missed his crew, and why he hadn't tried to find them once he had arrived in Storybrooke. After all, many of the people in this land, clamored for a chance to return to their old lives, to their Enchanted realm counterparts. The Evil Queen when she had activated the curse, had split up whole families, husbands and wives in relationships with the wrong people, children placed with parents other than their real ones. There was a whole lot of conflict as everyone tried to make sense out of their real lives and their cursed ones, twenty eight years of relationships hard to turn back on completely. 

Belle hadn't had such misfortune. It was strange, but the time she had spent locked in the asylum, had spared her the hassle of a false life. For twenty eight years, Belle had seen almost no one, existing in darkness, with the occasional sliver of light as a meal was delivered. When the curse broke, Belle had no one new to cling to. No fake lovers, or family, or even friends. She hadn't had to tear herself in two, or choose between her curse life and her real one. 

Of course she had almost tossed it all away earlier this day. Belle still felt a guilty twinge, and an embarrassed warmth fill her, as she thought about how close she had come to cursing herself. At least Hook had stopped her, though Belle didn't like the thought of feeling gratitude to him for anything. But it wasn't just that he had saved her from herself. There was the fact he hadn't told the Charmings and Ruby about what Belle had almost done. Belle didn't understand why he had kept quiet about that mortifyingly weak moment of hers. Not when he should have been boasting and bragging, trying to guilt them all into hailing him as a small hero. 

Not that Belle thought the others would have really praised Hook for his actions. Not when he was a huge part of the reason why Belle had felt so desperate and alone. If anything, she could imagine the prince trying to beat Hook once more, while Ruby would have definitely refused to allow Belle to remain for any amount of time in the pirate's presence. After all, it had been hard enough to get Ruby to leave without that knowledge, the woman accepting that Belle had to TRY, but not liking it one bit. 

Ruby might still be protesting, if it wasn't for Anton. The former giant had recognized Hook, but not in the way they had all expected. Anton remembered Hook from the time Emma had left the pirate trapped on the beanstalk, the former giant complaining quite a bit about how annoying and troublesome his temporary prisoner had been. For all of Anton's complaints, there had been a glaring omission. The former giant simply did not have any memory of Hook's involvement with Cora! 

According to Anton, Cora had worked alone. The Sorceress had traveled to the top of the beanstalk, knocked Anton unconscious with a spell, and brought him to Hook's ship. The spell had been such that Anton had slept through the entire journey to Storybrooke. The spell had only broken upon the cage being opened, and even now with Anton awake, and Hook not talking, no one knew for certain what purpose Anton could possibly serve for Cora. 

During Anton's insistence that Hook had not been present during Cora's attack on the giant, Belle had shot a meaningful look at Ruby. The red streaked black hair woman had given Belle a sour look back, reluctantly accepting this as further proof that Belle's involvement was needed, if they were going to stand a chance of finding out anything from Hook. But Ruby still hadn't liked it. Frankly Belle wasn't surprised that Ruby hadn't tried to find an excuse to remain aboard the ship! Not that she thought Hook would allow it. Not when he had been so annoyed by and eager to get rid of the unwanted guests who had boarded his ship earlier.

Belle couldn't deny she was nervous. Or that a sliver of new unease hadn't filled her, when the Charming family, along with Ruby and Anton, had finally left. It hadn't all had to do with being alone with Hook, though that played a part in it. Belle simply wasn't big on deceptions, not liking to lie to or use anyone, even a scoundrel like the pirate. 

And now here she was, actively searching through his ship! Looking for something, anything she could use, and wondering if it was any more worse than her plan to deceive Hook. Either one had the same end goal in mind, to find and subdue Cora. Only one would have her avoid tricking Hook into betraying the sorceress, albeit a betrayal that would be accidental. 

Sighing, Belle wondered if she would truly find out anything. It wasn't as if the few times Hook had made mention of Cora, it had been anything of monumental importance. Knowing the sorceress couldn't cook did no one any good, and made it seem like Belle's best bet was to find something that belong to Cora. 

She continued her search, and not one time did Belle have the misfortune of running into Hook. The pirate must have gone topside, what with the storm having subsided. From the size of the whiskey bottle he had taken with him, Belle knew she still had some time. Not enough to do a slow, thorough searching of every room, but then many of them looked as though they had been abandoned for a long time. Dust and cobwebs everywhere, the floors needing a good sweeping. There was no footprints stirring up the dust, save for Belle's own, letting her know just how long these rooms had been bereft of human presence. 

Of course, there was a few rooms not quite so dirty. Ones Hook for whatever reason, visited and maintained. Belle tried to search these more thoroughly, but she couldn't find anything that looked as though it would have belonged to a woman, let alone a sorceress. 

One of the last rooms Belle checked, was one of the most curious. There were many chests inside it, but unlike the rooms that contained extra stores of food, these all bore rusted locks. The room wasn't exactly clean, but there was footprints in the dust. Belle carefully matched her steps to the much larger prints, walking a path that Hook must have walked many times before. It led her to one chest in particular, it's burnished metal clean, as though Hook had run his hand over it time and time again. It too was locked, Belle rattling it in the hopes that such a violent set of jerks would cause the rusted metal to snap apart. But for all it's age and decay, it held fast, leaving Belle frustrated and wondering what was inside. 

It wasn't just that it was locked, that made Belle curious. After all, there was several more chests all bearing similar locks. But this chest seemed special, with the evidence that Hook had come and checked on it's contents often. She wondered what it's allure was, what secrets it held. But it was apparent Belle wouldn't get to solve the mysteries of the chest this night, and with a sigh, Belle reluctantly left it and the room. 

There wasn't much left to explore after that, and soon Belle found herself back in Hook's bedroom. She'd snoop around there too, and eventually uncover Hook's small collection of books. Belle couldn't help but be delighted by the leather bound first editions from their home world, picking out one to start reading immediately. 

Book in hand, she curled up in a comfortable but worn recliner. She wasn't yet tired, and even if she had been, Belle would have refused Hook's bed. It still held too much embarrassment for her, the woman remembering everything that had happened on top of it. The memories were potent, almost like vivid flashbacks that Belle refused to dwell on. She began almost furiously paging through the book in her lap, skimming the writing, and seeing it was an anthology of stories. 

But she couldn't settle her thoughts enough to truly read. Not with so many problems and mysterious, Belle wondering how she was going to get inside that chest, and how she was going to get the needed information from Hook. She even wondered what the pirate was doing, if he had passed out from too much drinking. Belle told herself it wasn't concern for him that had her wondering, not when she was more worried about what the drunkard might do. 

But anything she might have guessed at, wouldn't come close to what would eventually happen. When the exhaustion of a day that had been too eventful, would finally catch up to Belle, the woman passing out in the chair, the book forgotten. For one brief moment she would startle awake, from the sound of the heavy book thumping hard on the floor. And then Belle would fall back asleep, and slip into a dream state. 

Even in her dreams, Belle wasn't at peace. Tormented by visions of her past and present, Belle experiencing the time she had spent as Rumplestiltskin's slave. Love colored those memories, Belle able to fondly look upon her past. Or at least once she had been able to. Now that past was tinged with pain and regret, Belle knowing for certain she and Rumplestiltskin would never again enjoy that closeness, or that fleeting happiness that had led to her kissing him for the first time. 

The good times were outweighed by the bad, too much conspiring to keep her and Rumplestiltskin apart. True love hadn't been enough, ultimately defeated by the pirate who also came to her in her dreams. His figure clouded in shadow, Belle still tried to curl away from his touch. Flinching when he kissed her, his remaining hand fisting her hair, using that grip to hold her prisoner to his lips. 

Even in dreams, that mouth devoured her, hungry for and demanding a response. Though she didn't want to, Belle gave in to the ravishment his mouth promised, kissing the pirate back. Letting him steal the breath from her, and eat up her sounds, Belle whimpering into him. Over and over, until he had her panting, the kisses leaving her lips, to travel down the front of her throat. Teeth nipped, and lips sucked, the grip on her hair forcing her head back to offer up her throat to him. 

Her borrowed shirt was made quick work of, the front tearing easily under the tip of that deadly hook. Her flinch turned into something else, Belle's back arching when a mouth closed greedily over her nipples. Both of them were treated, equally teased and tormented by a tongue. An eternity was spent arousing her body, Belle voicing a feeble, half hearted protest as lust was built up within her. 

The dream continued, the sensations of it, powerful. Feeling like it was actually happening, intense spikes of pleasure coursing through her as Hook let go of her hair, and began caressing all over her body. His mouth kissed wherever his hand touched, a shoulder here, a hip there. The plane of her belly, the inside of her thigh. Flames heated inside her, the pleasure so potent, so powerful, Belle realized these sensations couldn't all be because of a dream. 

That thought was just as powerful as the pleasure coursing through her, Belle gasping awake. Startled though she was, there was a boneless feeling to her body, Belle almost lethargic from pleasure. She stared up at the ceiling, then realized she was flat on her back, and in a bed. In Hook's bed. 

Skin prickling with unease that still couldn't drown out the pleasure, Belle realized that not only had the pirate carried her to his bed, but that he had been touching her as he had pleased. That he was STILL touching her, Belle trying to sit up, only to have Hook's hand push her back down. And then it hit her just what he was doing, just where he was, and the that state she was in. 

She gasped again, the only sound she could make that wasn't a moan.The shirt she was wearing, had been split open down the center, the silk pushed aside to expose her breasts and her belly. Her nipples ached, stiff and wet from Hook's mouth. And her legs were spread wide, moisture pooling out of her, and dripping onto her thighs. 

It was then that it registered, her splayed legs which had been unresisting, now tensing. They came up against Hook's shoulders, unable to squeeze close with the pirate in the way. The pirate who was moaning into her, his tongue slow and diligent as he licked her. Aghast as she was, Belle couldn't ignore the tingling pleasure each slow sweep of his tongue caused in her. Nor could she shake the feeling that Hook had been at this for a while, leaving her body hyper aroused and close to climaxing. 

Mortified heat filled her, Belle fighting back the urge to scream AND to moan. She counted several seconds in her mind, trying to gain control of her voice. Trying to speak with anything but a moan, and still her voice came out low and seductive like. 

"Hook." 

He didn't acknowledge his name, even when Belle repeated it. He was focused entirely on his task, on pleasuring her body. He was also drunk, Belle able to smell but not identify the many different kind of liquor Hook had indulged in this night. 

"Hook, wait....stop..." Belle's moan supplied a lack of conviction to her demand. Embarrassed anew, she began twisting in an attempt to squirm free of him. Hook actually growled, and hauled her back in place, hooking his arms around her legs so as to hold her still. Another moan escaped her, Hook still licking her in that slow, patient manner that was driving what sanity Belle had left from her mind. 

She almost collapsed in place on the bed, far too tempted to give in. Her body really was too sensitive, and eager to take whatever pleasant sensations it could get, regardless of who Belle's partner was. It left Belle fighting to remain coherent, to not give in to a mindless state. She tried again to get free, squirming in a way that only caused her to grind on Hook's tongue. Her eyes nearly rolled back, a wild shriek escaping her in response to how it had felt to wiggle on the pirate's tongue. 

And then she was thrashing, fighting his arms' grip, planting her feet against his shoulders, trying to kick him back. Hook let out an incensed growl, pulling on her legs so that they ended up over his shoulders. Her attempts to get free had more than annoyed him, the man was infuriated. It showed in how he attacked her flesh, his licking no longer slow and lazy, but fast, merciless. Belle began panting anew, her chest heaving with every exaggerated breath. She actually squealed when he began tormenting her clit, Belle clawing at the sheets, but refusing to just give in. 

Twisting as best she could, Belle cast about for something, anything she could use. There wasn't much in reach, save for the bed's pillows. She snatched at one anyway, and did the only thing she could think of. She began beating Hook up side the head with it, futile though it seemed.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gets killed for the cliffhanger?* Boy this ended up long, considering there was almost no talking. *amazed* And yes, this is the sorta smut I was alluding to...^^;; 
> 
> Kinda arghing just cause it means one more chapter before a new day, the time skip, happens. I will get to that time skip if it kills me! *shakes fist at fic.* But I've been worrying, realizing Belle won't be in the frame of mind I had been imagining at the start of the time skip. Kinda going damn it over that, but maybe a miracle will happen and next chapter will get her mind set the way I had been envisioning since like chapter nine. ^^;; 
> 
> Also, I did a lot of thinking about how to start this chapter. While doing all this thinking, I realized it was more than just one thing I forgot to include in either Hook's thoughts, or the conversation he was having with Belle. Luckily I remembered and included it in Belle's thoughts. One of the things, that seems important to me, is Hook not blabbing to Ruby and company, that Belle tried to purposefully curse herself. 
> 
> Also started fretting, cause well I was wondering about something with season two. Ultimately, I'm thinking the Greg and Tamara stuff won't happen. But yes, the Cora Rumplestiltskin stuff will. But mainly worrying over time frames, like how much time to give everything, so that Hook and Belle can develop a real relationship. So we'll see together what I figure out in regards to how to have timing and events flow. 
> 
> It's actually seven in the morning when I finished this particular chapter. But I'm feeling kinda tired. Like too tired to proofread, but not tired enough to sleep. Hate that. In fact I probably should wait until I sleep, since once rested, I can catch mistakes and make sure this makes sense rather than rush and post. Just hope I sleep soon. ^^'' 
> 
> I also have this idea in my head, that Belle finds Mila's diary in the locked chest....don't know if I will use it in here or do a separate fic for it. Who knows, though I think it might help Belle to learn Killian better. So we shall see about that too!   
> \-----Michelle


	17. Seventeen

He was half out of his mind with drink, his sense of reason and sanity stolen away. That suited Hook just fine, considering the alternatives would have seen him dead, or tortured alive by the memory of HER. Of course, Hook couldn't quite remember who she was, the drinks doing their job just a little too well. 

Still he remembered just enough to know there was a pain associated with her. A gut wrenching pain Hook was glad to forget, even if it meant it would only hurt a thousand times worse when he did remember. But for now he was free, unsteady on his feet, and pleasantly buzzed. And looking to get even higher, Hook wandering below deck, trying to remember where he kept the really good stuff. 

It would help if he could remember his way around, Hook laughing at the idea of being lost in his own ship. He stumbled about, pushing open doors, finding room after room empty, with nothing resembling rum barrels in sight. It was really quite ridiculous that he couldn't find what he wanted, what Hook thought he needed. But then he was having trouble telling his left from his right, and if he could just find the galley, he'd raid it's store of cheap cooking wine. All in his desperation to maintain his buzz, to keep from remembering the woman, and the pain she brought with her. 

Hook shuffled off in the direction he thought might lead to the ship's galley, reasoning he was bound to stumble upon it sooner or later. He kept checking every room that he passed, their dust and cobwebs making him sneeze. Making him frown for Hook knew that once his ship had been clean. 

Not just clean but lively too, a sizeable crew helping to maintain the rooms below deck. Now there was no one, Hook alone as he wandered what might as well have been a ghost ship. Silent and eerie, with no storms to make the wood groan, the loud thump of something landing startled the pirate into whipping around. Peering into the shadows, wondering what had made the sound, and already walking towards it. Not knowing what awaited him, and frankly not caring if it was death itself that had made that noise, Hook found himself walking into what was his bedroom. 

Immediately he gravitated towards the array of liquor bottles strewn haphazardly across a table. A lot of it was the good stuff he had been searching for, Hook grinning as he began uncorking a bottle of amber colored brandy. The brandy had a real punch to it, burning a path down his throat as Hook swallowed, the man making a satisfied sound. 

Not intending to take the brandy slowly, Hook was already knocking back another large mouthful when he realized he wasn't alone in the room. He had caught sight of her reflection in the splintered form of a broken mirror, slumped over to one side in his favorite chair. 

He frowned for just a moment, dread filling him, almost making him sober in that instant. Was it her? Was she the one that he so feared to remember? The mirror was too splintered to make out her features, the woman slumped in just the right way so that most of her face was hidden. She had a rich brown color for hair, and somehow it didn't sit right with his memories. 

Hook was hardly a coward, but his hand still shook as he set down the bottle of brandy. He turned away from the mirror, intending to see the woman with his own eyes. He barely stumbled as he walked to and then around the chair, his good hand reaching out. Silk soft textures teased his calloused fingertips, Hook first rubbing at her hair. Hook then frowned, and began stroking it back, tucking it behind her ears, as he uncovered her face. Relief hit him, Hook realizing she was not the one whose memories he had feared. The tension he had been filled with, eased out of him, Hook looking and trying to put a name to the woman before him. 

Belle. The name whispered through him, along with flashes of memory. Brief moments spent with this woman, the memories refusing to linger long enough for Hook to focus on any one. The flashes were enough, Hook remembering through a fog. The deal that they had made, the way he had tricked her into agreeing to something she hadn't properly understood. The manipulations didn't bother him, Hook glad to have done it. She was more than just a reward for his accomplished trickery, Belle was in fact the shining manifested form of his revenge made real. 

But he didn't want to remember that revenge, or the need behind it. Didn't want to remember the reason for it, and the many feelings because of it that had driven him all these long years. Looking at Belle, he didn't want to recall any of it, wanted only to acknowledge one thing as fact. She was HIS, by her own foolish agreement, a land locked goddess of Hook's victory. So much more than just beautiful, Belle represented a future, a multitude of desires taking shape in a single delectable form. 

His hand left her hair, Hook bringing a sure touch to her lips. Thumbing at the bottom one, feeling it's pouty plumpness, and the warm breath of her on his skin. That breath was like a flame, sizzling awareness through him. Hook's expression grew heavy, his eyes dark with a sexual heat. 

He didn't need memories to tell him that they had lain together. Not when Belle was here, slumped in his favorite chair, wearing a shirt borrowed from Hook himself. He could read the signs, tell she was wearing not a stitch of clothing underneath that borrowed garment. Bruising on her lightly tanned skin, matched up to his gripping fingers. There was even a light abrasion on the inside of her thighs, made by his facial hair when the stubble of his short trimmed beard had rubbed over her soft skin. 

To see her marked so, only served to arouse Hook more, his own breath sharpening. Lust lay coiled within him, tense like a snake preparing to strike out. It didn't matter that he was drunk, Hook nowhere near sick, nor was he so incapacitated so as not to respond to the fiercest of wants. A want that centered on this woman, on Belle, Hook looming over her, intent on her lips. 

She reacted as though awake, Belle trying to shy away from his demanding kiss. Hook grumbled in annoyance, his good hand immediately going to her hair. Actually winding those silk locks around his fist, a punishing grip meant to hold her in place for his eager mouth. He felt the tremble within her, Belle fighting against his hold. It mattered not, Hook in total control of the movement and range of her flinching resistance. 

With a soft, throaty chuckle, Hook kissed her again. Her pouty lips parted slightly, a low voiced sound of distress issuing out of Belle. Immediately Hook set about on the advantage she had given him, his lips and tongue working in ravenous demand, feeling her responding tremble, Belle flinching in an instinctive show of refusal. 

His annoyance surfacing, Hook pulled on her hair. Her head tilted back, Belle making sounds of distress as Hook roughly worked their mouths together. His now ruthless way of kissing, wasn't so much about pleasure, as if it was about total possession. Hook wanted her surrender, wanted Belle to know he possessed her fully, his tongue becoming a hot brand inside her. Coaxing and teasing one moment , then demanding, Hook learning the taste of her and she him. She kept on trying to shift away, his grip almost hurting as Hook held her in place. And then with a put upon sigh, she gave in, lips moving against his, finding the fit of them perfect as her tongue began a slow dance against his. 

Satisfaction thrummed low inside him, Hook practically purring. He wasn't content to keep things at her pace, trying instead to devour her from the mouth on down. Her bottom lip was wetted by him, Hook tugging on it. The lingering connection eventually snapped, Belle's lips swollen from Hook's kisses. He kissed her again, then set about to lavishing affection on her throat, working his way down her soft skin. When his lips brushed the edge of her borrowed shirt's collar, Hook did not hesitate. His hook was brought into play, it's deadly sharp tip being used in the most careful of incisions. 

As the silk gave way with a tearing sound, Hook kissed the woman again. She trembled, actually breathed faster in response, a tension to her body. Hook knew how to relax a woman, how to ease away all tension from a body. He let go of her hair, finally, and risk a glance down at the split open shirt. A long strip of skin tanned a faint golden caught his eye, and then Hook was impatiently pushing the shirt open further. Her breasts spilled into sight, nipples crinkling just a little as the cool air of the room hit them. Hook's mouth watered, and there was no need to wonder what Belle would taste like, when she was there for the taking. 

Her breath hitched in her throat, Belle's back arching in reaction to feel of Hook's ravenous mouth closing over her nipples. His good hand gripped her hip, his hook useless for anything but destruction. And destroying this tempting morsel before him was the last thing Hook wanted to do, the man filled with a million and one thoughts on how best to please and be pleased by her in return. 

His mouth ever greedy, couldn't settle on a single nipple for long. He kept switching between them, driving the still sleeping woman mad with their needy ache. Her eyelids showed constant movement, the woman active in her dreams. Hook wanted Belle awake, yet didn't want to rouse her with just a simple firm shake. He wanted the sweetness of her responses, as she came gasping awake, finding her pirate lover solely dedicated to the act of making her come. 

Hell, Hook wanted more than to just make her come. He wanted to taste her climax, to savor what she tasted like before it and after, with her arousal just starting, with it building, with it peaking. He wanted it in all stages, every sweet dewy drop, Hook knowing it would be the most intoxicating of honeys. 

Hook wanted all of Belle, every scintillating inch, every writhing response. He wanted her moans, and her squeals, wanted to hear and feel her cry out in climax. The lust inside him was building, his urges such that it was all Hook could do to scoop Belle up out of the chair. His hand on her hip found the bruising there matched exactly his fingers' grip, the marks made earlier during the height of their passionate intimacy. 

Wanting to cover her in more ways than one, Hook set a goal about to best his previous efforts with Belle. On feet that were no more steady now than they had been before, Hook stumbled over to the bed with Belle cradled against his chest. He then laid his prize atop the sheets, taking a moment to study her in repose. Her rich brown colored hair had allowed thick wavy curls to drape across one shoulder. The ends of those strands lay over a nipple, Hook brushing them aside, before doing a pulling pluck at that stiff bit of flesh. 

A sprinkling of pink flesh competed with skin that was tanned golden, the woman's blush spreading down her neck and collar bone. Some women were just natural born blushers, turning pink nearly all over the further they were aroused. Hook took it as his personal goal to see if Belle could achieve a full body blush, the pirate looming over her as he climbed into the bed. 

He wanted to fall into her, to pin Belle in place for every act possible. Hook barely managed to reign in his strong lust, kissing her even as his hand began caressing all over her body. Where that hand touched, his lips followed, his mouth and tongue leaving lingering kisses as he battled impatience. It won out, when he parted her legs, Hook inhaling a sharp breath at the sight of Belle's glistening sex. 

Taking the sight as an invitation, Hook all but dove forward, his stomach touching the bed, the sheets cool against his fevered skin. He felt dizzy with desire, damp heat meeting his questing tongue. She let out a sound, and an instant later Belle was his. Her aroused flesh, swelling with lust, wet with it, and tasting sweeter than Hook had remembered. Her taste such it was dangerous, for what man couldn't become addicted to it, and to her? 

Hook began moaning as he licked her, cursing the fact he hadn't divested himself of his pants before starting this, and yet couldn't---wouldn't stop. Not even to ease some of the pressure pain of his throbbing arousal, Hook enduring pants that had grown too tight over his erection. He was simply too devoted to the task at hand, to making Belle come undone, his mouth a finely honed weapon perfectly suited to bringing a woman gasping into a pleasure filled reality. 

And she did gasp, startling awake and attempting to sit up. His good hand immediately pushed her back down. Belle seemed stunned by it, and just lay there, though her legs trembled and quivered with every pass of his hungry tongue. When she finally spoke, it was as sensual as the rest of her, the seductive, sin promising voice all but moaning his name. 

"Hook." 

He liked the way she spoke his name, but not so much the confusing words that had followed. She was asking him, no telling him to stop, something Hook didn't understand at all. What woman would refuse this, would try to deny such pleasure, going so far as to try and twist out of his grasp? 

Certain he was misunderstanding, Hook growled and hauled Belle back into place. He kept up his slow, downright patient licking, meaning to lull and seduce her into compliance. For an all too brief time, it seemed to work, the woman first laying there dazed, then actually squirming in place, her gyrations causing Hook's tongue to slip and taste her inside. 

He had learnt and accepted that Belle was a wild, responsive thing but a hellcat in his bed was more than Hook had bargained for this night. Belle actually attempted to kick him off of her, thrashing about with her body. Some of his own lust receded, Hook turning annoyed, then absolutely infuriated that she would try to deny him this. He maneuvered her legs out of the way, hooking them over his shoulders, his mouth setting out to teach her obedience. Actually punishing her with a fast, ruthless pace designed to reduce even the strongest hearts into a quivering, undulating, wet mess. 

He heard her squeals, felt Belle attempting to twist again. The pillow to the side of his head was unexpected to say the least. Hook growled in warning, but Belle seemed not to hear it, hitting him repeatedly with the pillow. Again and again, the pillow a soft weapon in her hands that did not hurt so much as annoy. 

With another fierce growl, Hook knocked the pillow from her, incensed as he asked, "Just what is your problem?!" 

Belle made a sound, a kind of huff of air escaping with it as Hook got a look into the loveliest blue eyes he had ever seen. Blue but moist looking, as though she was holding back tears, which didn't fit in with the reactions he had wanted from her. She couldn't seem to speak, as though she was struggling to hold back sobs. He felt some real guilt at the idea of this sensual creature crying in response to what he had done, and that cooled some of his anger. 

"Belle?" His tone had softened, his lust receded but not totally gone to concern. "What is it, love?" 

Her teary eyes in real danger of crying, glared at him in response. Belle actually had to control her breathing, before she could bite out an angry snarl. 

"How dare you!" 

Hook blinked several times, not expecting such anger but annoyed by it all the same. "In case you've forgotten, darling..." Even with his memory foggy, Belle's flinch told him enough. She didn't like the endearments he had used when speaking to her. Her dislike wasn't anywhere enough to get him to stop, Hook all but stressing the words. "We have a deal, pet." 

She seemed to curl inwards of herself, Belle looking shaken. "I haven't forgotten." 

"Then you won't mind." Hook was already leaning towards her, intent on resuming right where he had left off. Belle cried out before his mouth could cover her, the woman grabbing at the other pillow. 

"Don't!" 

Hook got hit again, the pillow having been flung like a projectile. He batted it to the floor, and arched an eyebrow at her, impatience keen in his expression. 

"I may have..." Belle paused, drawing in a deep breath. "I may have agreed to this, but it doesn't give you the right to just manhandle me any time you feel like it!" 

Hook gave her a look of disbelief, Belle still twisted in that awkward position, one of her legs resting hooked over his shoulder. She seemed to turn even redder, twisting about, to get free of him. Hook didn't so much allow it to be nice, as let her go so as to avoid getting a foot to the face from her frantic struggles. 

"We need to set some basic rules here." Belle announced, grabbing at the bed's blanket. She drew it over her body, actually clutching it to her chest. She maintained her glare, and even half naked, with her hair wild, and her skin flushed pink from arousal, Belle looked regal. Like a Queen looking down on a servant that had displeased her. 

But Hook wasn't anyone's servant. A fact he set out to remind her, his look dark as he grumbled. "The rules pirate follow are few and far in between." 

"But they exist, don't they?" Belle challenged. "When you had a full crew for your ship, they must have obeyed you." 

"Well yes..." Hook grudgingly allowed. "They did follow MY orders. But following their captain's orders, is not the same as adhering to society's rules. The men and woman who have been pirates have never been proper, never cared for the laws of polite society." 

"Well, I'm no pirate." Belle retorted. "I don't know how the women of the sea act, or what you are used to, but some things have got to change." 

Hook was suspicious. "Change how?" 

"Well the sex for one thing!" Belle answered. "You can't just jump on me whenever you feel like." 

"Next love, I suppose you'll be saying I have to ask first for your favors." 

"It wouldn't hurt." Belle retorted. "And just as you have to ask, I should have the right to refuse." 

"That's not part of the deal." Hook immediately protested. 

"No, you're wrong about that. You insist the deal was for me to be your woman. You never once said slave. As your slave I'd have no choice, but as your woman I expect to be your equal and to be treated with respect." 

She had paused, Belle watching Hook expectantly. He let out a breath, making a tsking sound. "Clever girl. Using the deal against me in this way." 

"You thought me a fool." Belle chided softly. The corners of her mouth seemed to hold back a smirk, her eyes no longer so glistening wet. "You thought you had everything, what with a deal that hadn't been fully figured out before I gave my agreement. But just as you worked it to your advantage, so will I." 

It was strange. He wanted to be annoyed. He wanted to glower and glare, make ominous threats to her about how a pirate didn't wait for permission, but took what he wanted. Instead he felt almost proud, Hook marveling at Belle for being smart enough to work the deal out to her favor. 

"So you have." He said out loud, his tone neutral so as not to betray his admiration. "But don't consider it a complete victory just yet. I still have the right to hold and seduce MY woman." 

"Only if I...." 

"This is nonnegotiable." Hook interrupted. "You may have the right to refuse, but I have the right to try to get you in my bed." 

He wanted to applaud how Belle didn't lose her defiant sparkle, the woman drawing her self taller, as she sat back in the bed. "You can try." She said, not even a quiver to her voice as Belle gave him a steel eyed stare. 

"Oh I intend to." Hook laughed softly. 

Belle seemed to shiver in response to that laugh, her hands clutching harder at the blanket. So hard her knuckles seemed to bleed of their color, Belle's entire body growing stiff with tension as Hook gave her a blatantly sexual look. 

"You can try." Belle repeated when she had found her voice. "But I don't intend to be an easy mark for you. Not anymore...." 

Hook hadn't considered Belle easy by any means. Naive yes, maybe even gullible to have fallen for his trick. Now she was showing a new facet to him, throwing down a gauntlet in challenge. Hook was not one to back down from challenge ever, openly ready to do whatever it took, even use more trickery, to win against Belle. 

"All right." Hook said out loud. 

"All right?" Belle asked, her tone marked by suspicion. "Just like that?" 

"Just like that." Hook agreed, with a smirk. "But understand this.....There will come a day when you will WANT my attention. When you will not only welcome my touch, but invite it." 

"That will never happen." Belle retorted in response to Hook's prediction. He just held her gaze, his eyes smoldering with promise and sexual intensity. Her breath hitched in her throat as Hook slowly licked his lips clean of the faint remains of her arousal. Belle's blush bloomed fiercely, the skin pinkening further. Hook wanted to laugh, as he moved to lay down next to her. She immediately tried to leave the bed, Hook snaking an arm around Belle's waist. 

"Shh...relax." He crooned softly into her ear. Belle did the opposite, stiff as a board against him. "I won't do anything more tonight." Hook said, nose buried in her hair, the unidentifiable flowery scent pleasing him. 

"Then why...?" 

"Why?" Hook asked. "Because I like holding you close." She again tried to leave the bed, Belle's shapely bottom rubbing over Hook's front. Even with the blanket as a barrier, it still caused Hook to voice a throaty moan. Belle went still again, Hook chuckling into her hair. 

"I won't do anything else this night. I promise." He meant it too. As hard as it was to deny his own desires, and as unthinkable as it was to leave a woman---HIS woman, unfulfilled, Hook thought it might just work in his favor if Belle was left to stew at the height of her arousal. Of course, it was a lot more difficult for a man in that same situation. Hook couldn't claim to like the idea of being blue balled by her. A condition that looked to be repeated in the coming days, until he could finally break down Belle's resistance to his seductions. 

Such was Hook's confidence, that he was sure he could wear Belle down in a matter of days. After all, she was such a sensitive being, her whole body starved for affection. It didn't matter that her resolve was strong, that Belle thought she could resist him forever if need be. In the end she would cave, surrendering herself fully to Hook. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD!! *flails* What an ORDEAL this chapter was to write. I tried to get it started for three days in a row, only getting a few paragraphs accomplished. Then I did something that I was sure was wrong for the chapter and fic, pressed ahead anyway, got up to 16 kb with a sexual scene...then realized I was unhappy because of one lousy detail that was wrong for the fic. So I had to back track, erase some paragraphs. Luckily most of the sexual scene remained as it was in the other draft. I just had to remove a few lines or paragraphs, not trash the entire thing, thank goodness! 
> 
> Then for the ending, it started to go all wrong after Belle said you can try. I had a bunch of stupidity written, gave up in funk, came back like two hours later, trashed it where it was stupid, and finally got the finished chapter as you all have read it. *collapses in exhaustion.* 
> 
> It also kinda threw me for a loop. or a curve ball at me. I knew Belle was gonna wake up and say stuff about you can't just molest me when I'm sleeping, but it was a spur of the moment thing how the rest of the conversation worked out. I like it....though I wonder if this Hook is gonna have to work to seduce Belle back into sex angle, is gonna be one of those things I regret once I get some sleep. Why yes, I'm running on only two hours sleep. X_X 
> 
> Ironically, never got Belle in the right state of mind for what I wanted for how I had been envisioning the time skip. But yet, next chapter should finally be me easing into that time skip of three days I keep blathering about. Course the way I feel after struggling so long with this chapter, is to take a break, a vacation. But we shall see how I feel tomorrow. I do want to try and update some of my other Once fics too....*passes out* 
> 
> \-----Michelle


	18. Eighteen

It was easy for Hook to be confidant in the dead of the night. With an aroused woman before him, the liquid proof of her desire still wetting his lips, treated to the sight and sound of how her breath had hitched in response to his tongue's blatant flicker. All these little victories that had pointed to his inevitable triumph, Hook having considered the battle already won in his favor the instant he had agreed to Belle's little game. 

It was less easy to maintain that confidence in the bright light of the midmorning sun, Hook more than a little hung over and hurting. With neither the woman nor his booze in reach, every ache and pain seemed somehow magnified. His rib cage sore, his body bearing bruises not just from Rumplestiltskin's cane, but from the fists of both the prince and the she wolf, Ruby. The pain of those attacks seemed insignificant compared to what Hook had gained, a beautiful, loyal, and intelligent companion who was not only the sexiest woman the pirate had ever known, but also proof of a revenge completed. A revenge that was beyond brilliant, successful beyond Hook's wildest dreams. And here he was, alive to enjoy it and HER. 

Only Hook didn't really have Belle at the moment, did he? And it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she had wriggled free of his possessive hold, and was currently hiding in the bathroom, all on the pretext of taking a shower. Instead it had everything to do with him taking things just a little too far, finally pushing Belle past her limits of tolerance. Hook couldn't even blame it on his being too drunk, not when he lusted after Belle so strongly. He could easily have seen himself repeating the exact same behavior when sober, having taken for granted that Belle's agreement was a sure thing when it was not. 

He hadn't been just confidant and assuming, Hook had been downright arrogant. Ignoring the clear signs of her reluctance, thinking to soothe away any token resistance she might make, Hook had let his own lusts blind him to the very idea of Belle saying no. Worst yet, he had let that same lust give Hook reason to underestimate the girl, the pirate never dreaming she would use his own deal against him. But leave it to a bookworm to find the key in the wording of a deal. A wording that had been loose and messy under the best of circumstances, Hook having used it to trick Belle into agreeing to something she hadn't properly understood at the time. Only to have her use that same wording against him, Belle realizing there was options available to her as Hook's woman. 

It was beyond clever how Belle had turned things to her slight advantage. It had won her the rest of the night, and so far most of the morning, free of Hook's molestations. Well most of them. He would never be able to claim to be a saint, especially with a woman like Belle in his bed. But for a pirate, and a lusty one at that, Hook HAD behaved. To a point. But really, with Belle in no mood to be receptive to his endeavors, Hook had let her slip away. For now. But he was already thinking, though far from scheming, mostly just bemoaning how the situation had soured in his favor. 

Hook couldn't even really blame it on his boozing, the pirate simply knowing he had pushed Belle too far. Something he had been doing from the moment they had made that deal, from the very first kiss he had claimed from her, to last night's drunken debacle. But rather then break, Belle had pushed back, a trait to be admired even if it put a damper on Hook's own pursuits. A temporary setback, but one all the same, Hook sighing as he stared up at the ceiling. He didn't hold the arrogance of last night, the cocky swagger that had him thinking Belle's surrender would take only days at best. In the light of this morning's sobriety, with Belle dashing from the bed as though the hounds of some hell were nipping at her heels, Hook could at the very least admit to himself that it might take longer. 

How long he couldn't say, even with his full charm brought into play, Hook would hardly seem irresistible to a woman whose life he had help make shambles of. It would be a challenge for sure, Belle a worthy prize to be won under any circumstance. He would just have to correct some of his thinking where she was concerned, a feat that would prove difficult considering he had already gotten used to having unrestricted access to her. To have to ask, or worse yet work for her permission, seemed like a major step back, Hook not used to courting a woman like Belle. 

But then, he reasoned Belle wasn't used to courting of any kind, let alone from a man like Hook. After all, what life experiences did she have, really? Growing up as a princess she would have been sheltered from the best and the worst of life's offerings, and that was before she had gone off to be the crocodile's slave. In the keep of the Dark One, few had ever had the privilege of seeing the beauty, and never without Rumplestiltskin near. He had kept her imprisoned in his castle, loathe to share her with the world. It reasoned to stand that was why Belle had ultimately fallen in love with the coward, with no hope or friend to turn too, no other prospects of any kind, her heart had been taken because she had had no other choice. 

Hook had a morbid curiosity about Belle's time with Rumplestiltskin, and a myriad of theories on the nature of their relationship. He also knew Belle hadn't been free for very long, when Cora's daughter, the evil queen Regina, had captured Belle and imprisoned the girl in a tower. What Hook didn't know, was what had happened next. Or how the girl had eventually won her freedom from the evil queen. But then Hook knew next to nothing when it came to the lives Belle and the others had been living in Storybrooke, only a few glimpses caught when he had stalked the crocodile through the town's streets. 

His single minded pursuit had kept Hook from truly exploring, the pirate having noted only a few of the oddities of this strange new land. Mainly the carriages, which had neither horses to pull them, nor magic to guide them. Storybrooke looked to be weirder than Neverland and the Enchanted Realm combined, but at least he had Belle to serve as a guide here. And of course there was Smee, the old pirate sure to fill Hook in on the less savory aspects of Storybrooke life. 

Not that Hook was ready to get in the thick of all things trouble. Not now. Not when a second chance at life had been given to him. It was still a strange concept, the idea of being alive and having gotten his revenge. It was an adjustment, one Hook was still getting used to. But one he was eager to embrace, Hook looking forward to life in a way he hadn't before. Because of Belle, because of the effect her presence in Hook's life would continue to have on Rumplestiltskin. It made him grin, a wide smirk of it, that remained even after Belle came limping back into the bedroom. 

Immediately, Hook sat up, noticing the woman had another one of his shirts on. But the black material was clinging noticeably to her body, the woman not as dry as she could have been, her long brown hair hanging down in damp waves against her back. Not even the unfriendly look she gave him, could stop Hook from wanting her, and wanting badly. 

He didn't even try to hide the reaction he had to her, letting the blanket noticeably tent over his lap. His eyes greedily roamed over her body, in a manner similar to the way he wanted his hand and lips to. Her unfriendly look remained, Belle keeping her distance from the bed even as her cheeks began to pinken in color. Dearly wanting to see just how fast and how far that blush could spread, Hook didn't even try to disguise the seductive lilt to his tone of voice. 

"Come now, love." He basically purred at her. "It's far too early in the day to be giving yourself over to unpleasant thoughts." His only hand began to caress the space besides him on the bed, though he didn't really expect Belle to accept the invitation so easily. "Why don't you come back to bed, so we can work on turning that frown into a smile?" 

"Smiling is the last thing I'd be doing in your bed." 

He didn't miss a beat. "You'd be surprised, pet." The look Belle gave him was withering at best, but lacked the power to destroy his mood or his body's response. "If you just give me the chance..." 

"I believe I've given you an ample amount of those." Belle interrupted, then noticeably stiffened at his laugh. 

"Oh, you've given me plenty. But a chance is hardly one of those things." 

Her cheeks downright flamed, Belle glaring at him. "What...What are you saying?! After all I've agreed to!" 

"Oh I know what you agreed to. And why. But that was brought on by necessity." Hook told her. "Everything you've done so far has been for HIM, very little for your benefit, let alone mine." 

"You got what you wanted." Belle all but hissed. "You got your revenge on Rumplestiltskin, and ruined my life in the process." 

"Ruined?" Hook lifted a brow at that. "I like to think I saved it and you." She sputtered at that, Belle seeming incapable of coherent speech. Hook couldn't resist teasing, waving his hand in an airy, unconcerned gesture. "No need to thank me." 

"Thank you?!" She managed to scoff in disbelief. "I would never..." 

"Never say never, dear." Hook noted that particular endearment brought a pained looked to her face, the word dear too similar to something the crocodile had spoken a thousand times over. To Belle, and just about everyone else he had ever had dealings with. 

"But gratitude aside..." Hook continued, shifting just enough that the bed sheet began to slide down his torso. Belle made a studious show of not looking, staring at something beyond Hook and the erection the blanket was snagged over. "I'd really like you to give me a real chance." 

"A chance to do what?" Belle demanded, tone rife with suspicion. 

"To get to know me for one." Hook answered. "Aren't you the least bit curious about the man you're sleeping with?" 

Hook watched Belle struggle with her answer, the woman tempted to outright lie. But her curiosity was surely more powerful, Hook speaking in silken tones, trying to seduce her interest. "The people I've known, the lands I've seen, the adventures I've had?" 

"I might have a few questions for you." Belle finally, reluctantly admitted. Hook grinned in response, patting the space besides him once more. But she firmly shook her head no in response to his invitation, her brown hair shifting strands over her shoulders. 

"Come now, love. You've got to give a little to get some." He told her, which only earned Hook another frown from Belle. 

"I just don't think a bed is the place I'll get any answers from you." 

"What if I promise to be on my best behavior?" He laughed at her doubting look. "Well best behavior for a pirate...." 

"I don't think pirates know how to behave." 

"Oh we do." He assured her. "It's just, most of the time we scoff at society's rules." 

"Some rules are in place for a reason." Belle retorted. 

"Which makes them all the more fun to break." Hook countered while maintaining his grin. 

"Your fun HURTS people." Belle protested, and Hook sobered his expression to something more serious. 

"Sometimes." He agreed. "But not always." She made a scoffing sound at that, one Hook was already talking over. "And sometimes, it's a hurt well deserved." 

"It doesn't make things right." 

"It might not, but tell me something love. Would you be so quick to protest, if Milah's murderer was anyone other than your beloved Rumplestiltskin?" Hook asked, watching her carefully. Belle opened her mouth, then promptly snapped it close, her blue eyes taking on a troubled look to them. Hook should have felt smug, instead he just felt tired, speaking in a softer tone. "You wouldn't." 

"He's changed." Was all Belle could whisper. 

"Has he really?" Hook asked her. "Or do you let the love you feel for him, blind you to his bad side?" 

Her troubled look increased, her lips a hard, uncompromising line on her lovely face. "I'm well aware he's not perfect. No one is." 

"It's far more complicated then that." Hook argued. "Not when he's succeeded in terrifying a whole realm's worth of people!" 

"They just...." 

"Just what?" Hook asked. "They just don't know him like you do? Or is it you don't know him like they do?!" 

She looked to be trembling, Belle actually shaking her head no in protest. "Belle, love..." Hook took pity on her as best he could, starting to inch his way towards the edge of the bed. The blanket slid free of him, revealing his clothed from the waist on down form, the front of his pants opened in order to accommodate the frequent arousals he had endured throughout the past night of behaving. 

"You're wrong about him." Belle finally spoke. "And about me!" 

"Oh?" She seemed to color in response to his disbelieving look, Belle angry but not anywhere as much as she was upset by what Hook had been saying. "Then tell me how you've not been romanticizing the man who kept you prisoner and enslaved. A man who has terrorized the people of the Enchanted Kingdoms for centuries at least. A man who was able to kill in cold blood the woman, the wife, he supposedly loved!" 

"Rumplestiltskin's not perfect by any means." Belle managed. "But you demonize him far too much! You say I'm blinded by love, and yet you let yours do the same!" 

"Maybe I do." Hook agreed to Belle's surprise. "But I at least have the experience of others' encounters with him, to back up my claim." He didn't have to say it, didn't need to verbally point out that where Rumplestiltskin's good side was concerned, Belle was the only one to truly believe it even existed. "There's a reason why he was--is the most feared man in the Enchanted Realms. Why they sought to neutralize him in any way they could." 

"Everything Rumple did....he did for a reason." 

"And what reason could possibly excuse all the evil he's done? All the lives ruined, the people hurt? Whole kingdoms fell because of him! Milah was KILLED because of him, by him!" Hook practically snarled now. 

Belle made a stammering noise of sound, as though she too knew there was no real way to justify the things Rumplestiltskin had been doing, and that he still at times did. 

"Tell me, love..." Hook had gotten off the bed, and was drawing near to Belle. So close to her, she began to back up, first one step, then another, until her back was bumping into the wall. And still Hook pressed towards her, boxing her in between his arms though he didn't actually touch her. "Tell me how Mila'hs murder fit into some grand, mad scheme of his....how it wasn't a spur of the moment act of insane jealousy?" 

A choked sound from her, Belle's eyes welling with tears. Hook could feel sympathy, knowing it couldn't be easy for the girl to face the truth of the man she had been with, and given a part of her heart to. 

"One reason love....one possible justification for all it." Hook spoke, his voice an urgent whisper of sound. "One thing that can actually excuse it, any of it, all of it!" 

A violent shake of her head, Belle's tears starting to fall. "He just wanted his son back." She mumbled. 

"All this for a boy who doesn't even want to be found?" Hook let out a deep breath. But he wasn't unaffected by her tears, his one hand caressing his fingers over her wet cheek. "Oh love, don't you see? He's selfish, ever so selfish. Putting his own desires above the needs of everyone else's! It's not right, not right at all." 

She was openly crying, trembling under his touch. But she wasn't saying much of anything, eyes turned downcast as Belle struggled against accepting the truths Hook was pointing out. She didn't fight him when Hook drew her away from the wall, pulling her against his bare chest in an attempt to offer comfort. And though stiff at first, Belle soon melted into the embrace, hiding her face against him. 

It had been a long time since Hook had offered comfort to a woman. His hand made an awkward pass over her hair, Hook trying to sound soothing as he talked to her. "It's all right to cry because of him." He said. "He's hurt you as much as anyone else. Tricking you, using you....but you're safe enough now." But he couldn't lie and say her hurt would go away. Not when Hook had been waiting several hundred years for his own grief and pain, his own hurt feelings to go away. At this point he wasn't sure they would ever vanish completely, if anything could ever make the wounds in his heart heal. Milah had been too big a part of his life, his heart, her murder scarring it and him. 

Just as Rumplestiltskin, the truth about him, was scarring Belle, the woman heart sick as she struggled with accepting it over the lies she had told herself to make things seem better. To make Rumplestiltskin seem better than he actually was. Hook couldn't begin to imagine what it had been like, living with Rumplestiltskin, being the Dark One's slave. Less hard was how Belle had come to naively have feelings for the crocodile, Hook having heard more than one tale of how women had fallen for their captors. 

It was in effect, a situation the crocodile had exploited. And though Hook didn't like the man very much, he could appreciate why Rumplestiltskin would do such a thing. Belle was beautiful, clever, courageous and loyal. What man wouldn't want to do whatever it took to win her? Where Belle was concerned, Hook found he was no better than Rumplestiltskin, and that thought didn't disturb him as much as it should have. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while. I had no idea my break would end up being this long. But I was feeling burnt out on this fic, and then I got side tracked with some Hook Emma stories. (Plus real life mainly health/pain issues.) Though I've been sneaking Restraint chapters in amidst all the Captain Swan madness. XD 
> 
> Now, there's no need to worry. Just because I am writing Hook Emma stuff, doesn't mean I've abandoned ship where Hook Belle is concerned. That pairing is still my passion, even though it seems like it's my impossible to happen in cannon unless the writers do some hard drugs ship. Though I keep hoping for more Hook Belle interactions in the show. I've had three ideas for if the triangle, if the season goes horribly wrong for Hook, and two of them are Hook Belle story ideas! Though I am trying to resist them right now, to try and work on/finish some of the existing work in progresses. 
> 
> This is gonna be a long rambling author's note. I spent last weekend rereading Trade off (And spent all of this week struggling to get this chapter finished.). Well...I know I kept talking about a time skip, but when I reread all of my existing chapters, I realized the time skip...well it couldn't happen just like that. There needed to be some morning after chapters. Some things had to be addressed, (Not enough got addressed in this chapter) before I could do a believable (believable to me anyway) three day skip. I've also started worrying about something I wanted Hook and Belle to do together after the tree day time skip happened (Not sex!), just because it was something I hadn't noticed before but when I reread, I noticed it regarding Belle. I'm being vague about it, cause I don't want to spoil it until it happens. My big fear is the thing I noticed makes it harder for it to happen.....guess Hook will have to do his best to persuade her otherwise. (Again not sex! XD) 
> 
> Also need to thank my friend Zerousy. She did major hand holding for me on this chapter. Listened to a lot of me whining and fearing, and even got to read the first 14 KB. After reading the first 17 chapters again, my big fear is that I can't write it at the same level of quality (or even better). I'm very scared this chapter SUCKS! But the other thing she helped me is...well after Belle says "Your fun hurts people." I had found Hook and the conversation took a far more serious turn than what I had wanted. Oh it was a conversation they needed to have, only I hadn't planned it for this chapter. (So yes, some rearranging of plans have been happening.) But Zerousy was reassuring and felt my fingers typed a necessary evil (love that saying she said!) in making the conversation serious instead of flirty fun, or sexy. So thanks again to her for all the feedback and reassuring! 
> 
> Now I can shut up and post this! Just got to proofread first. XD
> 
> \----Michelle


	19. Nineteen

For a long time now, for far longer than Belle herself cared to admit to, she had been lying. Making excuses where Rumplestiltskin was concerned, for him and because of him, Belle blinding herself to the facts found all around her. Letting herself think that the end goal justified Rumplestiltskin's misdeeds, Belle trying to excuse the bad behavior that had been repeated again and again. Even when she hadn't understood Rumplestiltskin's reasons why, she had continued to be blind, believing the best in him. Telling herself he was under the Dark One's curse, that true love's kiss would break him of it, change him into the good person Belle knew Rumplestiltskin to be. 

She had clung to that idea, enduring hardship and imprisonment. Fighting to get back to him, wishing for a way, wanting to find the real him, to save him. Thinking Rumplestiltskin her destiny, and she his. Striving for true love and the happy ending that was guaranteed to those who had worked for it. 

It had been easy to blame everything on the curse Rumplestiltskin was under. Easy to tell herself he would be a different man if his circumstances were altered. It was easy to believe it once he had started isolating her from others, hiding the worst of his misdeeds from her. Easier yet when she didn't have to clean up his bloodied from torturing others clothing, when she didn't have to hear the stories, see the fear on other people's faces. 

Long before Belle learned the true reason behind Rumplestiltskin's every move, the beauty had been deluding herself. Living a fantasy born on the kindnesses the man had shown her, the gifts, the closeness, the stimulating conversations. She had seen a man behind the monster that everyone, even her own father, had feared. And no matter what reason Rumplestiltskin used, no matter what lie Belle had told herself about his curse, she still couldn't fully vilify the man now. Let alone outright call him a monster! 

Even after all Rumplestiltskin had done, Belle still saw the man behind the power and supposed evils. She still saw the man searching for love, wanting his son at all costs, willing to do just about anything to anyone in order to reunite himself with the boy. Rumplestiltskin loved Baelfire, but it was a pity that that love was hurting others, Belle herself included! 

Baelfire came first to Rumplestiltskin. The boy might always come first, and Belle had tried to accept it. Had even lied to herself that she was okay with it. But she wasn't really. It hurt to know the man she loved just didn't love her enough. Had never loved her enough, not to allow his curse to break, or to forgive her for the sacrifices Belle had made to help him get one step closer to reuniting with his own son. 

Already struggling, maybe even jealous of Baelfire, it was all Belle could do to process the horrific truth. A truth where Rumplestiltskin had killed in cold blood his own wife, a woman he had loved enough to have a son with. It was that frightening, inexcusable truth, that had started to break down Belle's own walls, the woman starting to see cracks in every lie and falsehood she had used to make things seem better than they actually were. To make it tolerable what Rumplestiltskin had done and still sometimes did. 

Because even now in Storybrooke, he had continued to do things, and make half effort lies to her about why. Breaking promises or finding ways around them, keeping things from her. And always she had forgiven him, had even accepted why he had done those things. Belle had kept on believing in him, believing he would try to do better, and always, always giving him just one more chance. 

She now felt like the fool everyone else must surely think her to be. The saddest thing of all was that she STILL loved him. That Belle still wished things could have been different, that there could have been another way for her to be Rumplestiltskin's destiny. Her heart was breaking that she was not, that it hurt just as badly to have been so wrong about him as it was to be closed off from Rumplestiltskin forever more. It was that, the grief, the frustrations, even the anger, that was powering her heartbreak and tears. Belle was simply too exhausted to fight against the truth, to keep on believing in the best of Rumplestiltskin. 

Shaking and crying for something that really had broken inside her, Belle leaned into Hook's embrace. His body against hers, became the only support she had, the only reason Belle remained standing. She was vaguely aware of everything else, of his arms wrapping around her, of his hand trying for an awkwardly comforting touch on her hair. Belle just buried her face against his chest and wept, grieving for the love she had wanted, for the future she had hoped for. 

And then even that was too much for her, her legs starting to give out as Hook caught and carried her to the bed. Belle clung to him, all but pulling him down besides her on the bed. But it wasn't for anything but a shoddy grasp for human warmth and comfort, Belle needing to curl up against someone, anyone. Hook wouldn't have been her first, or even her second choice, but he was there, and that was all that mattered. 

For the longest of time they just sat there, Belle dripping her tears against Hook's skin. He kept on petting her hair, speaking softly nonsense that was murmured in an attempt to soothe her. The words didn't matter, just the cadence of his voice in that soothing rhythm. Belle didn't even try to understand, just laid there next to him, until she finally felt in control enough to lift up her face without bawling. 

Hook's eyes were immediately on hers, the man giving her a concerned look. He didn't ask her if she was okay, or if Belle felt better now that she had cried out so much. He probably knew that the answer would be no to both questions, because how could Belle be anything, let alone okay, with her heart breaking so completely. 

Feeling sick, wishing she could empty out of all emotions, Belle fought not to give in to another tidal wave of tears. "Will it ever stop?" 

He knew what she meant, Hook pausing long enough to give her question the serious consideration it deserved. "It might. It did for Milah." 

"Because she fell in love with you?" Belle asked, but couldn't muster up enough energy to sneer it. 

Hook allowed a slight smiling twist of his lips. "Oh no. She was long out of love with Rumplestiltskin when we first encountered each other." 

Belle frowned. "But why...how? He wasn't the Dark One then....was he?" 

"No he was not. But Rumplestiltskin wasn't a pleasant man even before he gained all that power. He gave Milah plenty of reasons to cry, along with hardship and endless disappointments. It wasn't a happy life she had had with him....hadn't been for a long time." 

"Tell me about her." Belle shifted, though didn't stray all that far from the warmth of Hook's body. But rather than lay cradled against his chest, she laid on her side next to him, close enough to touch and be touched if she so chose. 

"I wouldn't know where to begin." 

"Then tell me about when you first met her. Was it love at first sight for you? For her?" Belle asked. 

"Love at first sight?" Hook mused with a glimmer of a smile. "Can't say it was that. It took a great deal more than a few looks. But by the end of the week we knew. Hell, I'd dare say everyone in that bar had to know, what with the way Milah glowed." 

"Glowed?" Her brow furrowed, Belle not understanding. 

"I suppose you wouldn't know, what with you being royal and all." Hook retorted. That got him another frown from her, Hook chuckling in response. "Oh I know a bit about royals and the nobility. Few if any ever marry for love, or at least they didn't at that time. There was little room for true love when kingdoms were at stake, when wars could be averted by the simple arrangement of a marriage." 

Belle sighed. "Now that I am familiar with." But she didn't offer to tell him about Gaston, or how she had been expected to marry that arrogant lordling. A marriage she had been saved from by Rumplestiltskin, but Belle refused to think about that now, knowing she would only start to cry again if she did. 

"Course...things had changed...or at least had started to by the time I came back to the Enchanted Realm. Snow White and her prince had set quite a standard to live up to, what with their love being made possible, and their kingdoms prospering under their rule. Maybe more nobles would have followed in their suit, and gone the true love route over doing their duty." 

"A lot of things might have been different if Regina hadn't case her curse." Belle murmured. 

"You can't be wondering about what ifs too often." Hook pointed out. "Not when the past is something you can't ever change. I know...." He said, holding up his hand. "It doesn't stop us from wishing otherwise....but there's a lot of grief to be had in thinking too hard about what could have been..." 

Belle didn't have to ask, to know Hook was speaking from his own experience. He must have spent a long time wishing things had been different, wishing Milah was still alive, tormenting himself over the future that had been denied to them both. 

"So she glowed?" Belle asked out loud, trying to steer the conversation back to her original curiosity. 

"Not in the way you might expect. But a woman who has first discovered true love, has a certain...a certain sparkle to her eyes. A smile that lights up her face, a skip to her step. Milah had that with me. And just as I made her glow, I dare say she did the same to me." His smile was wistful, his gaze distant as Hook surely let the memories rise up in his mind. 

"MIlah was beautiful, and funny, not to mention brave. She knew how to make me laugh, and she did it as often if not more then she turned me on. She wasn't at all afraid of me or my crew, and she loved hearing about our adventures on the high seas. Milah might have been looking for a momentary distraction from the life she had had, but she got that and more when falling into bed with me." 

"Now I don't want you to be thinking it was all about the sex." Hook said, his gaze turning focused and directed towards Belle. But he was smirking, downright playful as he teased her. "As good as I am, lovemaking alone is not enough to make a woman glow with love." He laughed in response to Belle's annoyed look. "But we found we were compatible in and out of bed, and with Milah craving a change to her life, she was more than eager to run away with me. And she took to the sea like a fish born in it, never a more fierce pirate lass than she. The life suited her, I suited her, and together we were magic." 

"And during that time, Rumplestiltskin became the Dark One?" In an instant Hook lost his smile, giving her a stiff nod. 

"Oh we had heard all about him, and the trouble he was making. It was only a handful of years, and already he had quite the reputation. First for terrorizing his village and the ones that surrounded it, and then abruptly, he began doing more with his power. Using it to manipulate and control people, to chart the fall and ruin of kingdoms. No one, let alone Milah, could guess as to why he was doing it. We didn't even know he had lost their son, or that Baelfire being gone was the catalyst to the change in Rumplestiltskin. We just knew enough to avoid him." 

"Only the desperate would seek him out." Belle murmured, remembering her father and how desperate he had been to save their kingdom from the ogres. How he had been willing to do just about anything, except give his daughter over to the Dark One. And yet that had been exactly the price Rumplestiltskin had demanded, a sacrifice Belle had been willing to make, if only to be a hero to her people. 

"Only the desperate indeed." Hook agreed. "We were lucky to have avoided him for as long as we did. But all luck runs out eventually..." His look was dark then, Belle shivering in response to it. 

"In one day I lost my hand, the woman that was my whole life, and nearly my whole crew." Hook continued with a growl. "If we hadn't had a way to escape where even Rumplestiltskin could not follow....well we would all have been dead at his hands." 

"Why?" Belle was wide eyed and shivering. "Because Milah had left him for you? He would have killed your whole crew to punish her for loving another?" 

"He would have slaughtered us all for the last trick played on him. My Milah was cunning, and she made him think he had what he was after. I may have lost my hand for the deception, but it was worth it to get a laugh on him." But Hook wasn't laughing now. "He's an evil, evil man....seeing people as things, as possessions and things to manipulate. I thought it all a greedy need for further power, but even knowing he had a better reason, his son, doesn't excuse him in my eyes. Nor should it in yours!" 

Hook was practically glaring at her now, the blue of his eyes a dark blaze of bold color that flashed with his anger. The anger wasn't truly directed at Belle, Hook's frustration, his rage, and the helplessness he must have felt at failing to save Milah from Rumplestiltskin's last cruelty being stirred up by memories. By a hurt that had never properly healed, that apparently tore open time and time again, Hook tormented by his past, and most of all by his loss. 

Belle couldn't imagine living for any length of time with that kind of anger and pain, already so exhausted from the last two days of her own ordeals. It was an exhaustion that lingered, that only grew worse, as did her own sadness and frustrations, and even anger, as her heart broke not once but twice with the realizations that she had been wrong about Rumplestiltskin. But even knowing that didn't make the love go away, the heart felt emotion something that wouldn't be vanquished that easily. Belle's love had been true, even if everything else of her time with Rumplestiltskin had been not, the woman's own feelings strong enough that it had overlooked so much in the course of her relationship with him. 

Hook was still staring at her, that fierce, angry look in his eyes mellowing somewhat as Belle began to look away. She thought herself quick enough to keep him from reading the emotion on her face, but in the split second it took her to process her own thoughts and to turn away, he had seen something to appease him. 

His hook was suddenly there, the blunt curve of it under her chin, insistently raising her head up so that the pirate could study her eyes. Belle fought the resentment inside her, the feelings that whispered to her that everything could have continued as it had been, that she and Rumplestiltskin could have been happy together if not for Hook's interference. But just as that feeling whispered, another also spoke. The whisper that asked if she would really have been happy, continuing to live a life that came on the foundation of lies and ignoring the truths around her. 

Sick because she didn't want to acknowledge the truth of her heart, Belle all but scowled at Hook. The glower she wore didn't have the desired effect, the pirate's lips holding the slightest approving quiver to them, as though he was holding back a laugh, or at the very least a smile. 

Her look became one of pure resentment, Belle hating the truth, and hating just who had broken it to her and how. It left her struggling, and far from a total acceptance, Belle wanting to delude herself that things could have, should have, remained the same. She looked at Hook and could not be grateful to him for turning her world upside down. She still wanted to cling to the familiar, to the man she still loved whole heartedly, to the world, to the life they had had together even if it wasn't healthy or sane or safe. 

Wanting the familiar, the comforting, Belle yearning for the love that even Rumplestiltskin hadn't been able to give her, she jerked away from the pirate. She heard him say her name, an inquisitive lilt to the end of it, but Belle didn't bother to acknowledge him. A deep breath followed, as did the sound of the bed creaking as Hook moved off it. 

"There's something you need to see." He said, and it wouldn't have been enough to rouse Belle's curiosity, if not for the words that followed. "Though you're still a world away from accepting it and the truth it holds." 

"The truth?" Belle couldn't help but sound suspicious. "The truth about what?" 

"About every little thing you've been wondering about since learning Rumplestiltskin once had a wife." answered Hook. "The hows and the whys, and especially the who." 

"And I'm just supposed to believe anything you tell me?" Demanded Belle, with a deep scoffing breath that died of with a gasp at Hook's next words. 

"Not me, but Milah." He said in all seriousness. "She's the only one who might be able to give you a somewhat unbiased account of her life, her decisions, and the men who loved enough to kill over her." 

The idea left her stunned, and that was good. Because her shock was the only thing that kept Belle from saying something foolish, from pointing out that Milah was dead, and unable to speak anything, let alone the truth. Belle would still be standing there with that wide eyed look of shock, when Hook threw out one last challenge to her. 

"But if you're too scared of the truth to come see...." 

Her chin lifted, Belle giving him her best glare. "I've faced down monsters, and even an Evil Queen. There's little left to frighten me." But she was lying through her teeth, Belle fearing the truth. Fearing what new and unwanted facets of Rumplestiltskin and his past with Milah might stand revealed to her, and the effect it could have on her love and a heart that was already broken.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this one got written a little faster. Almost had it ready almost two days ago, actually got the first 13 kb written. But then real life and a headache got in the way, not to mention I started over thinking, overstressing, worrying, doubting everything I had written of the first 16 kb. For the most part I like it, even though it kinda veered off path. Mainly I thought Hook and Belle would be arguing about Rumplestiltskin, but the way the chapter developed and flowed....well I went with it, and got to my ending point I wanted anyway! Yay! 
> 
> So yeah....when I rearranged some things because of last chapter and the delayed time skip, I realized I did have a set up for Belle to get the diary. Originally I was thinking she'd have to sneakily break in to the chest, and read it on the sly. But I like this last minute change, where Hook lends it to her better. 
> 
> Oh! I almost forgot. Actually I did, but Zerousy comment in the review section reminded me. Like a month or so ago I made a Once Upon A time website. It's my third wordpress site, and it's called Hooked On You. It has both my Hook Belle AND my Hook Emma stories, along with a very small section of fan art. Except for the fanart, everything else is the same amount of chapters as this fanfic site. (Actually this site gets the chapter updates first over the wordpress site. XD) 
> 
> Also, I tried to limit how much Hook said about Mila since I wanted to leave some of it for the diary bits. But we'll see how that goes. Right now I'm thinking Belle won't have the nerve to read it, cause she's scared of what will stand revealed. But I have this moment in my head, where she learns Hooks' real name....though I wonder if it will read funny when I get around to writing it out. (In other words, she's reading the diary, and just kinda goes loudly, "KILLIAN?!" Like she can't believe the name, or finds it funny. XD) 
> 
> I'm actually hopeful that...okay I want to start the next chapter with them getting that chest open and her being presented with the diary. But then if that doesn't take too much space, to ease into the time skip at long last. Keep your fingers crossed for me! XD 
> 
> \---Michelle


	20. Twenty

It was almost to the bowels of the ship that Hook brought Belle to, the two an oddly matched pair that had been brought together by circumstance and a great deal of manipulation. Deeper below they went, having had to walk past many a room and corridor. There was even stairs to navigate, Hook holding onto the injured Belle's waist so as to make sure her limping didn't cause her to misstep and fall. Belle wasn't exactly grateful for his assistance, thinking him to be overly solicitous as an excuse to keep on touching her. Especially when he kept on holding her once she was off the stairs, the dim light of the corridor leaving his face partly shadowed. 

Unable to read his expression, and uneasy with the closeness he had tried to maintain, Belle was quick to shift away with an impatient gesture of her own. The gesture and her own expression were blatant in the message conveyed. A message to get on with it, Belle wanting nothing to do with Hook and his attempts to be teasing. 

A moment that seemed to last a lifetime before it ended, and then Hook was back to walking. Belle followed, though not too closely, using her limp as an excuse to trail behind him just out of reach. They weren't saying much to each other, and Belle honestly preferred it that way. Because it felt like every time Hook opened his mouth, the words said upset her in some way. Especially his words about Rumplestiltskin, about the truth Belle was finding impossible to deny. 

And just as she couldn't deny it, Belle also couldn't avoid the hurt that truth was dealing her. The pain it inflicted on her, the way her heart broke and made her cry, and it was made all the worse because she still loved Rumplestiltskin. A love she didn't think would ever truly end, no matter how awful the truth might be. A truth she was afraid to hear any more of, yet was morbidly curious about. And so Belle followed Hook, not because she was being particularly courageous, but more because she just HAD to know. 

At least she had managed to stop crying though tears still threatened constantly. But she would go with Hook to this truth, this proof of his, with her head held high, Belle ready to face Rumplestiltskin's demons though she couldn't at all claim that it wouldn't leave her scarred in the process. Because it was scary, and painful, Rumplestiltskin and who he really was, the one thing she had never wanted to face the truth of, Belle having gone to great lengths to lie to herself about him. 

It was downright mortifying to be having an eye opening about Rumplestiltskin in front of Hook, though the pirate hadn't acted too smug about it. He wanted her to know the truth, wanted her to understand, maybe even accept it. He wasn't yet rubbing her face in it, though Belle was certain this was all part of Hook's need for revenge. As though it wasn't enough to cost her Rumplestiltskin, as though his revenge needed to make Belle fall out of love with the man as well. But it wouldn't be that easy. Love didn't just go away, and even Hook had to know that. He had after all grieved Milah for so long, even pursuing revenge in her name. 

It was a revenge he had been seeking for a very long time. How long Belle wasn't quite sure, though reasoning deduced it had to have been for many years. Belle didn't know how old Rumplestiltskin truly was, but his name had been whispered with fear for far longer than she had been alive. And though Hook didn't look a day over thirty, he too was older than she could guess at, what with the pirate having met him BEFORE Rumplestiltskin had come into the power of the Dark One. 

It was all quite curious, and even Belle could admit to a reluctant desire of wanting to know more. Hook didn't look or act as though he had any sort of magical power, and yet here he was, alive and well, and able to exact the revenge he had been chasing just short of forever. But it was a revenge she didn't want to think about too much, the knowledge that it's success came at the cost of her own happiness with Rumplestiltskin simply too painful. In fact there was very few things that weren't hurtful in some way, her unhealed wounds ripping open by nearly every thought that she had. 

It was all Belle could do to not sigh out loud, fighting the depression that seemed determined to close in around her. It was a pointless battle she knew, but Belle couldn't simply give herself over to the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. Even though it was healthy to grieve, at least to a point, Belle or rather the Charming Family, perhaps even all of Storybrooke, simply didn't have time for it. The people of this town were in danger, her friends' lives at risk. They all needed Belle to keep her emotions in check, keep her wits about her, and not just simply to avoid Hook's attempts at seductions. Belle needed to not be a weeping, crumpled mess, and instead focus on getting answers, or at the very least something they could use to find Cora before she found and joined forces with her daughter, Regina. 

But a huge problem remained, Belle unsure of how to go about coaxing the information out of Hook. He was plenty chatty about Rumplestiltskin and Milah, of the tragedy that had happened, and of the evils done by the man that Belle still loved. But he had yet to truly say much about Cora, and what he had said wasn't anything anyone could use. Nor did Belle expect him to be forthcoming with the information if Hook began to suspect that one of the reasons Belle had stayed with him, was not simply because of the deal, but out of her desire to pump him for information. 

It was a delicate situation, and that was before Ruby and the prince had tried to beat Hook up. Already on guard because of that, Hook might clam up completely if he realized what Belle was truly after. It left Belle in an unenviable position, the woman having to bide some time, and hope not too much was lost before she got what they all needed from Hook. 

Unenviable though it was, Belle almost welcomed the distraction it might provide. Because if she busied herself with thoughts of finding out something useable on Cora, it helped distract her from thoughts of how her life had literally been blown apart. How it remained in shambles, Belle having little left to carry on with in the aftermath. At least there was Ruby, and the Charmings, their friendship and support the greatest kindness left to Belle. A kindness she didn't want to take for granted, a kindness she wanted to repay even if it meant keeping herself in close proximity to the pirate. 

A pirate Belle thought she understood to a point, and still managed to be puzzled by. A pirate who hadn't been quick to mock Belle or her friends with the knowledge of what Belle had almost done. The fact that Hook had neither told on Belle for her suicidally foolish attempt to cross the curse's boundary, nor tried to use that information as a means to play the dark hero who they should all be grateful to, truly surprised her. At the very least he should have been using that information to get Ruby and the prince to back off, or be demanding favors for the fact he had kept Belle from cursing herself to the oblivion of a new alter. 

He had done none of that, hadn't even tried to take credit, or embarrass Belle over her actions earlier in that day. He had kept it a secret, and Belle wondered why. Did Hook have some other agenda, or was he merely using this as another way to exert some power over her? Last night would have been the perfect chance for that when Belle had told him no, when she had laid out the terms of her resistance. Hook could have used that Belle in a way owed him, could have tried to use that secret to worm his way back into her arms. 

No matter how Belle tried to think about it, it just didn't make any sense to her why Hook would keep quiet and not use what she had done against her. She didn't consider him to be doing it out of honorable intentions, let alone respect. Nor did she like the idea of owing him a favor for the saving, and no matter how much Belle mulled over the angles, it left her uneasy. Hook left her uneasy, and it left her wholly unprepared for the answer he WOULD give her when she finally asked. 

"Why didn't you tell Ruby and the others about what I had tried to do?" 

Hook didn't immediately answer, walking a few steps more before he suddenly turned to face her. Was it by chance or design that he now stood situated in the best light this corridor had to offer? Face no longer so shadowed, Belle could now make out his eyes, and the sensual shape of his lips though Hook wasn't smiling. 

Instead he looked totally serious, his expression almost solemn. "Wasn't my secret to tell." 

"Maybe it's not....but you could have used it to your advantage." Belle pointed out. "Still could." And in so many ways. 

"Don't see the need." Hook answered. "Won't gain a thing from exposing your moment of...poor decision." 

She frowned at that. "Do you think you'd gain more if you keep quiet about it?" 

The slightest turn of his lips, Hook now appearing amused. "Is there more to gain?" There was lascivious edge to his voice, one Belle refused to respond to, mentally willing herself not to blush. 

"No, nothing." Belle said out loud, her tone firm. 

"Shame." Hook said, and moved to turn away. 

"I won't owe you anything for it." Belle added. "Not when it's hugely your fault why I tried to curse myself in the first place..." 

"I get that, pet." Hook retorted. "But I'm not about to be the type to hold against you the actions taken in the heat of your grief." 

Again he had surprised her, Belle blinking owlishly at his back. She almost forgot to follow him, just barely hearing Hook murmur something softly under his breath. 

"We've all had our moments where grief has made us weak." 

"What did your grief make you do?" Belle asked, honestly curious. 

"There's little I didn't do because of it." Hook retorted, but it was a cryptic response. So much could have been done, especially given how long Belle was thinking Hook had to have lived. 

"Will you tell me?" 

"It's not behavior I'm always proud of." Hook hedged in his response. 

"Now I'm REALLY curious." Was Belle's reply. And she was, wondering what could be so bad that it would leave Hook hesitant to talk about. 

He tossed a smirk over his shoulder at her. "Somehow when I imagined us getting to know each other better, it didn't involve my shortcomings." 

"Just doesn't seem fair." retorted Belle. "You know at least one of mine." 

"All is fair with love, war, and pirates." Hook chuckled and came to a stop before a door. Belle was a bit too indignant to notice right away which room he had led her to, but when she did, the woman managed to hide her surprise. Because it was one of the last rooms she had checked, the one with a large number of locked chests. 

It was in fact, the pirate's hold, not so much storage for food and a sundry of supplies but for the treasure gained. Searched for, stolen, it didn't matter to the pirates. But Belle didn't yet know this room contained what was an impressive amount of wealth for any one man. Nor was Hook particulary concerned with showing off the gold and jewels he had accumulated over the years. Not when his intent was on the chest with what was the greatest of Hook's treasure. A treasure that was cold comfort to what he had lost, Hook carefully walking over to one chest in particular. 

Belle was relieved that Hook didn't seem to realize some of the dust was disturbed, her visit of last night so far undiscovered. But more than relieved, she was intrigued, watching as Hook sought out a chest she had noted as being visited often. A chest Hook opened with a key from his pant's pocket, the pirate gesturing Belle to come near. 

More curious than she could help, Belle tried not to look over eager as she slowly walked to it. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but a chest of fairly ordinary things was not it. The clothing folded there with their colors faded, the material worn, didn't immediately register as a woman's things. In fact, it wasn't until Hook touched one of the top most articles of clothing with the back of his fingers, that she realized just who this clothing must have belonged too. 

"Milah." Belle stated in a hushed tone. Hook wasn't looking at her, instead staring down into the chest. Belle inched a little closer, trying to get a better look inside, then nearly jumped at the sound of Hook's voice. 

"She was such a vibrant soul, a larger than life personality. And now all that's left of her is this chest." 

"And your memories." Belle offered quietly. "She'll live on so long as you keep her memories close." 

"It's not the same." Hook retorted. "Remembering someone is not the same as being with them." 

"But sometimes memories are all we have." Belle pointed out, but even to her own ear, she sounded bitter. Because Belle was recognizing that all she really had left of her life with Rumplestiltskin was the memories and the dreams of a happy future. The dreams were dashed, and the memories were tainted by the truth, Belle not able to look back on the past without seeing the shadows of the lies she had once told herself. 

"Hard to move on with just memories." Hook muttered. But then he had never truly moved on, stuck trapped in his grief. And memories were a cold comfort on the best of days, never mind the worst. 

"But shouldn't we try?" wondered Belle, and now Hook looked at her. 

"Do you think it that easy?" He watched Belle do a frantic shake of her head no. 

"No...but to not do anything...to just wallow in grief and regrets..." 

"I've done more than wallow." Hook retorted. "I've spent lifetimes trying to achieve revenge." 

"Revenge." Belle tried not to scoff. "And has it really left you fulfilled?" 

"To new to it's success to say for sure." countered Hook, who then brought his fingers to catch at strands of Belle's hair. She immediately stiffened, but didn't try to jerk away, as though remembering to adhere to the deal they had both made. "Though I've certainly been enjoying the unexpected aspects of it." 

Rather than rise as though baited by him, Belle stared down into the chest. "Why did you bring me here? Where is the truth you had wanted me to see?" 

Hook played with her hair for a few seconds more before answering. "It's here." His fingers slipped free of Belle's hair, Hook bending to reach for what Belle had mistaken for as just a badly damaged book. It's leather wrapping was worn, as though someone, Hook most likely, had run his hand over it again and again. The book wasn't properly bound, someone having taken needle and thread to sew the pages in place. It was also pretty thick, bigger than almost anything else, save for a few of Rumplestiltskin's books on magic. 

"What is this?" Belle asked, watching as Hook hesitated and just stared down at the bulky mess of a book. 

"The truth." He said, and let out the deepest, longest sigh she had ever heard a man breathe. "It's all here, every last word of it, as written by Milah's own hand." 

Belle's eyes widened, the woman barely able to comprehend Hook was handing the book to her. "This is her diary?" 

"Yes." nodded Hook. "One she had been keeping for years. It's all there...everything from just before she married Rumplestiltskin, to just before she died. It's everything you've wanted to know, and then some....if you are brave enough to read it, love." 

Belle could barely remembering taking hold of the book, staring first at it, then at Hook. She swallowed nervously, debating on giving it back to him. 

"Now I don't want you to think I'm giving this to you." Hook suddenly added. "It's not yours to keep save for a reading. This is all I have left of my Milah's voice, so you can see why I find it too precious to part with permanently." 

"Yes, I understand." Belle said faintly, becoming aware of how heavy the book truly was. As though the memories and the truth that were there was ready and willing to weigh down Belle to with their secrets. It actually scared her, Belle frightened of what she would discover in the book's pages. 

"It'll take courage lass." Hook said, having read the fear in her eyes. "But you might find you are better off for knowing the truth." 

"Better off HOW?" Belle demanded plaintively. 

"Might find it easier to free yourself from Rumplestiltskin once you know." offered Hook, which only left Belle fighting not to cry. Realistically she knew it was the smart thing, the sane thing to sever all ties and feelings to the man who had turned his back to her. But her heart's emotions made her want to cling all the harder, hold on to every last bit, whether it was truly good or just imagined. 

Worse yet, a tear did slip, Hook brushing it aside with his thumb. "It's ultimately up to you. love." He said. "I can't force you to read it, no do I expect you to start right away." 

"Then when?" Belle asked in a choked voice. 

"Not sure about that." Hook admitted. "I guess it'll happen when you feel ready." 

"That might never happen." Belle retorted, and Hook shrugged. 

"Might not, but I'm thinking it's better to know the truth than to torment yourself with what Milah's diary MIGHT say." 

He had a point, and a good one at that. Because Belle would forever wonder, would forever be curious over what had happened, what Milah might have had to say about the two men in her life, and the events that led to the woman's murder and Hook and Rumplestiltskin's blood feud. But a thought made her frown, Belle almost defiant as she stared at Hook. 

"Won't Milah's interpretation of things be just as biased as anything you or Rumplestiltskin could tell me?" 

"Maybe. But why would she lie about her life with Rumplestiltskin? It's not as though she expected anyone, let alone a sweetheart of her husband to be reading that diary." Hook answered easily enough. 

"I suppose you have a point." Belle muttered but she didn't sound happy. 

"A point's not all I be having." Hook gave a slight smirk, which only got Belle glaring. "But before we get to any of that, I suggest we go have breakfast. You'll think better on a full stomach. I know I will." 

"I am a little hungry..." Belle admitted, though she hadn't lost her glare completely. Hook's smirk increased, the pirate turning teasing. 

"As am I.....and not just for food." 

Another touch of her hair, and then Belle ducked under his arm, the book clutched close to her chest. She couldn't hope to outrun him with her foot's injury, but her evasion had been enough to make Belle's point. 

"All right, all right." Hook was chuckling. "Food comes first with you, love." 

She didn't bother correcting him, Belle looking straight ahead as they walked side by side. She didn't know what would happen after breakfast, if Hook would really adhere to the terms she had laid out where his attempts at seduction were concerned. She supposed if worst came to happen, Milah's diary would make an adequate bludgeon. Though Belle was hoping it wouldn't come to it, wanting Hook to behave, to be something other than the lusty pirate she thought him to be. 

Breakfast itself was a mix of good and bad, Hook determined to be teasing even as the food was pleasing. Belle found herself treated to things she hadn't tasted in twenty eight years, her stomach plump with foods that simply did not exist anywhere but in the Enchanted Realm. She couldn't help but be appreciative, if not for Hook's company than for his good choice in meals. 

So pleased in fact was Belle, that she was already taking stock of what she could find in the kitchen, determined to busy herself in the coming days with making some of the delicacies she had missed. Cooking was no problem for Belle, the girl having learned to excel at that task, while in Rumplestiltskin's care. And Hook was more than appreciative, his ship the Jolly Roger, soon filling with the mouth watering smells of cakes and sweets being baked, of pudding masterpieces being created and preserved. 

Belle might not have been able to eat if the food had been the ordinary, every day fare she had grown used to while living in Storybrooke. But for a time, her depression was kept somewhat at bay by the temptations of the food she continued to create. But even that soon lost it's appeal, Belle able to make only so much pudding and cake before the uniqueness of it all faded, and the depression began to seep in. 

When she took to crying while her banana bread was in the midst of baking, Belle realized she was in need of another distraction. Milah's diary never far from her side, beckoned, but Belle kept on resisting, doing nothing more than to touch it's leather wrap and hear the crinkle of the pages inside it, before her courage failed her. She simply wasn't ready, not for the truth as Milah had seen it. 

Hook never bothered Belle where the book was concerned, never put undo pressure on her to begin reading. She'd catch him watching her every time Belle tried to gain the courage to open the book. And every time she turned away, there was an understanding look in his eyes. But she didn't want his understanding, didn't want Hook to be sympathizing with her. She wanted him to keep on being someone she could despise, but he wasn't a one note villain. There was more to him than his anger and lusts, sides to him she was just beginning to spy glimpses of, the man he had once been, waiting to stand revealed if Belle would just reach for Hook. 

But her own anger, along with her depression was too strong for that. Belle was fighting to not grow used to Hook, to not care one way or the other about him. She kept on trying to maintain a distance between them, some moments easier than others, Hook always trying for more, always trying to seduce her into something. Be it a smile or his bed. 

Hook was overly attentive, but never so much as when he had Belle besides him in his bed. Always quick to touch her, to tease her, he pushed her to her limits of tolerance before backing off before she snapped completely. Never once did she consider giving in to him, never once did she melt or swoon or respond to his kisses, though her body was a traitor of a different kind. Left tingling with arousal, Belle often found herself gritting her teeth, or trying not cry out for relief. And yet always Hook respected her refusals, never going so far as to outright force himself on her. 

But it was frustrating him, the desire apparent in his eyes, the strain on his face, the tension of his body showing how much it hurt him to hold back. And yet he still kept on, as though Hook couldn't not touch her. She'd wake to his hand caressing her, to Hook's lips on the side of her face, or his nose buried in her hair. He'd wind them both up with his desire, only to have Belle leave them panting, unfulfilled and wanting, needing more. 

It was during those times, that the worst of Belle's depression was kept at bay. But then at Hook's retreat, the depression would come, crashing over her like a wave. Belle found herself hiding from Hook, wanting to be alone when the worst of it was making her cry. He didn't always leave her, instead trying to comfort her, to hold her against him and stroke her hair as she broke down and wept. And he never seem to judge her as weak for her tears. 

Hook might not have thought her weak, but it didn't spare Belle from her own cruel judgements. She was harder on herself than anyone should ever be, Belle thinking herself weak, fearful, and useless. She especially felt useless the more time went by where she couldn't see past her own depression to make a true effort at finding out anything about Cora from Hook. Nor could she find any clues scattered throughout the ship, Belle finding she was moping about more and more and Hook was starting to disappear for unexplained amounts of time. Belle was sure he was meeting with Cora, and yet she couldn't prove it, couldn't even try to follow him, for the fiendish pirate continued to hide her clothes! 

The clothing situation made Belle irate, the pirate not hiding how much he enjoyed watching her prance around in nothing but one of his shirts. It left Belle fuming, and made her feel like she was a prisoner aboard his ship. And then the depression would hit, and she'd break down crying, feeling a ton of self loathing and before Belle knew it, three days had passed like this. 

Three days wasted, or so it seemed, Belle sitting curled up on the cushions of a chair, the diary on her lap. She kept staring down on it, and several times she managed to open the leather wrapping, to look at the words on the yellow with age paper. The date there on the first entry surprised her, Belle shocked to realize it was more than three hundred years since Milah had been alive. 

Reeling from that knowledge, from the concept of how old Hook and Rumplestiltskin truly were, Belle couldn't bring herself to read more than the date printed on the first page. She'd go back to brooding, the book sitting closed and that was when Hook strolled into the room, her clothing hung over his arm, his hand holding onto her shoes. 

Belle immediately stood up, her eyes sparking with what she hoped was anger. She was about to snarl at him his claims of being too drunk at the time, to remember where he had stuck her clothes when Hook spoke. 

"Get yourself ready to leave." He said, his tone and manner brusque as he gave over her shoes and clothing. 

"To leave?" Belle asked, wide eyed now. Had he gotten tired of her weeping, and of her refusing to be bedded by him? Was he about to release her from the agreement they had? But she hadn't come closer to finding out anything that the Charmings could use, Belle uneasy at returning to them and Ruby empty handed. 

"Aye." Nodded Hook. "We're going to go on a little field trip." 

"A field trip..." Belle echoed in a dull tone of voice. 

Hook misunderstood her, frowning and speaking in a tone that should have brooked no argument from anyone. "You've been moping around for days now, lass. Some fresh air will do you a world of good." 

Belle felt fresh air was not what she needed, that nothing would fix her life, or mend her broken heart. She was thoroughly depressed, and already turning away from Hook, her clothes in her hands not as big a comfort as she had first thought. Because suddenly it didn't seem like there was much point to anything, to even getting dressed, Belle just wanting to lay and sulk in her misery. 

Bit Hook wasn't having any of it, reaching for her. Belle let out a startled gasp, spying a certain determined gleam in Hook's eyes as he began unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing. "What are you doing?!" She demanded in a strangled tone, trying to push him away. She dropped her shoes and clothing in the process, which only made Hook tsk in response. 

"Getting you ready for our day out on the town." He announced in calm tones. 

Belle couldn't stop from staring at him dumbfounded. And then she remembered enough to speak, to protest. "I can't go out with you!" 

"And why not?" Hook demanded, with the slightest of frowns. 

"Well...everyone will talk for one thing..." 

"Let them." Hook said with an uncaring shrug. 

"You may not have much of a reputation here to maintain, but I do!" Belle snapped. "If people see me out with another man....some stranger, a pirate, they'll know..." 

"They're going to have to know sooner or later." reasoned Hook. "And it's not as if they don't already have some suspicions." 

"Suspicions are one thing, proof is another!" exclaimed Belle with a fitful shake. "And it would hurt Rumplestiltskin...." 

"All the more reason to get it over with then." Hook grinned with just a hint of malice to his expression. 

"You may want to, but I am not about to rub in his face our....situation. Especially not publicly." 

"Won't be anything to rub." Hook retorted, and Belle frowned again. 

"What does that mean?" Her hands were on her hips now, Belle unconsciously shifting into an aggressive stance. 

"Just that he's gone." Hook answered, and Belle's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Did you...." 

"Oh he's not dead." Hook was quick to assure her. "And it's not because of me that he's left Storybrooke." 

"He's gone to find his son, hasn't he...." Belle stated, and wished she could feel happier about this. 

"No doubt about that. So now's the perfect time to get the rest of the town used to the idea of us as a couple." Again the pirate tried to get her shirt open, Belle shying away and batting at his hand. "Come now...I know the Roger's nice, but there's a whole town to be exploring." His voice had turned coaxing, Hook trying to entice Belle into agreeing. "And I'm sure you be wanting to get some things for yourself, some nice dresses and the like." 

"I don't exactly have enough money to fit myself with a new wardrobe." Belle pointed out, her tone withering because clothing was the one thing she very much wanted more of. 

"No problem there. I've got that taken care of." 

"I won't have you stealing!" exclaimed Belle, and Hook actually laughed. 

"Won't have to do any of that. I am a rich man you know." 

She was going into permanent frowns, Belle staring at him with suspicion. "With the Enchanted Kingdoms gold? They'll laugh us right out of the stores..." 

"Gold's gold, but it's all already settled." Hook grinned. "I've been busy liquidating some of my treasure, having it changed into what passes as this lands' currency." He chuckled anew at her dumbfounded expression. "I have a friend or two, even here lass." 

"Cora?" Belle breathed out, and Hook gave her an odd look. 

"No not her. We parted ways quite a while ago, but then she's never been one to do my bidding." 

"But you hers?" Belle asked, and Hook lost his smile. 

"We had a partnership. We used each other, but I was never her boy to boss around that completely." 

"Then why would she ally herself with you? What did you bring to the table?" asked Belle. 

"Is it really so hard to believe I might have something to offer a woman?" Hook asked, and he wasn't teasing then. 

It wasn't a question she wanted to answer one way or the other, Belle just shrugging. Hook seemed disappointed by that, then shook off the feeling like it was water. "In any case, our partnership ended not long after we reached Storybrooke. No doubt she is with her daughter by now, and she's welcome to her!" 

"If she found Regina, we would have heard about it by now. They would have wrecked the town or worse." Belle pointed out. 

"You have a point there." Hook admitted. "But it's out of our hands what those two do now." 

"You'd turn a blind eye to what Cora and her daughter might do?" Belle demanded, her hands back on her hips. 

"I'm just not one to worry about something I can't affect." Hook retorted. "Cora wants her daughter back, and she'll kill anyone who tries to stop her. You best remember that." 

Belle was shivering in response when Hook added one last thing. "And before you start hating me for it, you might be incline to know that Rumplestiltskin left the town unprotected even knowing Cora was here and scheming." 

She actually went pale at that, Belle taking a step back and collapsing onto the chair. Hook looked at her, but he wasn't oozing satisfaction. Instead his gaze was sympathetic, Hook sighing. "I'm not as big a villain as you think I am..." 

"But neither are you a hero." Belle was quick to point out. 

"Most men fall somewhere in between." said Hook. "The world isn't so black and white, there's a lot of gray to be found. Most are just trying to get by, trying not to get killed or whatever. Heroes are heroes because they take the risk, because they do the things thought impossible. But not even a hero will be able to keep Cora from her daughter." 

"Hook....if you know anything, anything at all...." Belle began. "Please...tell me....tell me how to find her." 

"I'm speaking the Gods honest truth when I say I don't know where she is." Hook retorted. "If anything, your friends should be working to find Regina. If they can convince her to not side with her mother..." 

"Now that might be the truly impossible feat." Belle said, sagging as though defeated. But she wasn't, not yet. Because she didn't believe Hook didn't know anything, that he didn't have a way to find or get in contact with Cora. And more than that, Belle was determined to prove it, to do just about anything, even endure a trip through the town with him if it meant she was one step closer to prying it out of him. 

"Give me ten minutes." Belle said out loud. 

Hook nodded in approval. "I'll be waiting for you topside." He said before sauntering out of the bedroom. Belle watched him go, not immediately moving into action. It wouldn't take her that long to get dressed, though there didn't seem enough time to prepare herself mentally for the idea of going out to face Storybrooke on Hook's arm. But then Belle might never be ready and simply because it wasn't Rumplestiltskin she was about to go out with. But she'd put herself together, though Belle didn't think she'd manage a smile. She'd do what she'd have to, though Belle was far from accepting that this was her life now. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Super long chapter and time skip! Ha ha! *dies* Well first I think it's obvious I got stuck on how to end this chapter. It was turning into the chapter that did not want to end. X_X But I got the three day time skip in! Whoo hoo! I didn't think it was gonna happen...I got to the 20 KB mark on Tuesday night, and realized I was at a decision making point. To either end the chapter, or do what felt natural and ease into the time skip. I needed sleep though, but was able to do it the next night. I'm really happy with this chapter for the most part, cause it flowed almost non stop for me. I only had a few stumbling moments near the end. 
> 
> I had been planning for them to go shopping and what not since almost the start of the story. But I hadn't thought of something until my reread recently. I had completely missed somehow, that Belle would worry what people would think of her. So I was able to put that in...her being worried about her reputation. 
> 
> Ahh...I'm actually drawing a blank on what to say next...I felt like I had more to say, but my thoughts kinda ran away from me. This is a longer than usual chapter, though I should say it happened by accident the size of it. Meaning I don't think it will be a regular occurrence to get future chapters to this size. Now I'm off to spell check and proof read. :D 
> 
> \----Michelle


	21. Twenty One

It had all the makings of a beautiful day what with the sky free of all but the fluffiest of white clouds. It offered up a near uninterrupted view of it's brilliant baby blue color, the sky merging with the darker shades of the water below it. There was the sun out in all it's spring force and glory, it's rays on the water offering a dazzling display of it's light. The light shimmered and fluctuated with the gentle movements of the harbor's waters, the Jolly Roger doing only the slightest of groaning and rocking because of it. A seasoned pro of the sea like Hook barely felt the movements, and even the most green of sailors would have had an easy time at keeping steady footing on these waters. 

These waters were that of Storybrooke's harbor, which stretched on further than the eye could see, leaving one to wonder what adventures awaited out there. The lure of it was seductive, especially to a pirate, the sea in his blood calling to him. But for once Hook ignored it, actually having little desire to set sail on these unknown waters. Maybe someday it would be different. Maybe someday he would grow curious about what lay past the borders of this town. If that time came, Hook might just brave the curse itself, if only to see what else there was to this realm. 

Once it wouldn't have taken much courage to risk the oblivion the town's curse offered. Once Hook would have not only welcomed the relief it could grant, but would have embraced it whole heartedly. He had after all once felt as Belle now did, so lost and in pain, that almost anything had seemed a better alternative then dealing with the hurt that had swallowed up everything else, leaving Hook empty save for his need for revenge. 

Funny how a few days could change everything, how one person could change everything. How so simple a bargain agreed upon could so effectively alter the course of not one, not two, but several lives. Belle had been the game changer, her unexpected, unasked for arrival on his ship, changing, actually even saving lives. Handing Hook his revenge, and giving him a reason to hang on, to actually live for once rather than exist as a mere shadow of his true self. Hook was coming alive, living for something other than to achieve revenge and the death he had been sure would follow. A death he had thought to welcome gladly, and the relief it once would have surely offered Hook from his pain. 

His pain was still there, but somehow it felt muted. As though wrapped in gauze and bandages and smothered by his smug victory, by the illicit thrills he got thinking of Rumplestiltskin's continuing torment. Most of all, it was drowning on a wave of sheer lust, Hook cutting loose in a way that bordered on obscene and self indulgent. Belle didn't put an end to the pain he had suffered with for roughly three hundred years, but she was very much the reason it was soothed somewhat. And all because she represented so many things, revenge, his second chance at life, Rumplestiltskin's continuing misery. Fixated on her, on what she brought to him, it was no wonder Hook craved her like an addict with a new drug. 

And like an addict, Hook didn't enjoy being denied what he wanted. The past three days had been a torment of a different kind, Hook unable to satisfy one of his most strongest desires. It hadn't been for a lack of trying, Hook doing everything short of throwing Belle down and raping her. But it wasn't his way to so thoroughly force himself on a woman, surrender sweeter when it was willingly given. It didn't mean he wasn't being driven out of his mind, distracted from his centuries long grief by the fact that Belle wouldn't let him do much of anything to her. 

It left every kiss stolen, every touch a small victory that she might allow. Hook put his heart and soul into the effort of seducing a yes from Belle's sweet lips, and always, always she managed to stop him. Even as he left her panting, his name a gasp on her lips, Belle always ultimately told him no. It was driving him mad, his desire ratcheted up so high, Hook thought he might explode. And in some ways he already had, many a messy finish staining the front of one too many pairs of pants. 

Existing as a maelstrom of sexual lust, tension and desires, Hook thought it would do them both good to get off his ship for a few hours. He hadn't failed to notice how depressed Belle was behaving, how locked into her sadness she was. She was mourning her relationship, the end of her life with Rumplestiltskin. Finding it hard to accept the truth of who that monster had really been, Belle was unable to see what Hook had done to facilitate the changes in her life as something good. She was simply too broken hearted, too grief stricken and hurting. She might never forgive Hook for the role he had played in ruining her life with Rumplestiltskin, but he was fine with that. It wasn't forgiveness he was wanting from her, content to settle for her loyalty, and her passion. Thinking it would be enough, that it would give him a purpose in a life that was otherwise aimless without his revenge. 

Having no real ties left to him, in this world, or in that of any of the others, Hook needed something, someone to ground him. To give him a reason for living. Belle and everything she represented to Hook, was becoming that reason, the pirate thinking no finer excuse for living then the snub it offered his enemy. 

Aimless, with no real knowledge of how to live in Storybrooke, and with no friends or family to truly call upon, Belle was the lifeline Hook hadn't realized he had been searching for. Hadn't even known he had wanted, Hook making a grab for it, for her, all the same. Because, even with all his pain and private torment, Hook simply wasn't the type of man to just lay down and die. Not even at his most reckless and foolish, Hook a man who had once enjoyed living and all that life had had to offer him. 

Once he had been on top of the world, the possibilities seeming endless with Milah at his side, and his crew at his back. They had been able to go anywhere, do just about anything, and Hook had never been happier. That time had been too brief, a mere instant in a life that had been unnaturally extended. And through that long, unnatural life span, Hook had never thought to come close to such happiness again. Hook supposed he still didn't, might even think it impossible without his Milah alive and well. But there were other joys to be found, other kinds of happiness to chase after. Like a revenge well accomplished, or a woman in his bed. A woman that was devastatingly sexy, a woman Hook was enjoying the pursuit of, even if the chase often left him more frustrated than satisfied. 

That frustration was part of the reason Hook had decided that he and Belle both needed off of his ship. They both need a break, a breather from Hook's attempts at sexual conquest. It might have been different if Hook had thought Belle was close to giving in, but the unfortunate fact was that she was not. And Hook had enough sense to realize that. It was a reprieve to them both he was granting, a small concession to the realization that to continue as they had, would merely end in madness. 

It might even be a bit of empathy on Hook's part, the pirate aware of Belle's pain, and the way she allowed it and grief to consume her. The woman was thoroughly depressed, and moping. Hook found himself sympathizing, actually giving himself over to something other than the lusts that fueled him, the revenge that had ruthlessly driven him for so long. He felt bad for Belle, for the pain she was in. But it was only to a point, Hook not about to let her go, nor facilitate a way for her to reunite with her former lover, Rumplestiltskin. 

Instead he thought to distract her. With sex firmly shelved for the time being, Hook had to put both their energies to a new pursuit. Exploring Storybrooke and some of it's many marvels, seemed an ideal outlet for an otherwise restless pirate and his reluctant paramour. 

Reluctant in more ways than one, for Belle was taking her sweet time in joining him on deck. Just as Hook thought he would have to go down and fetch her, the beautiful woman appeared. Hook immediately straightened from the slouched over lean he had been doing against the ship's railing, a grin curling at his mouth's corners at the sight of Belle. She hadn't sighted him just yet, a hand lifted to shade her eyes from the bright sun. 

She'd actually jump at the sound of his voice, Hook greeting her with a jovial smirk. Her own expression was close to sullen, Belle's eyes looking resentful over the outing. Hook could understand why, knowing she neither wanted to be seen in public with him, nor did Belle welcome an interruption to her moping. Hook understood about both reasons, Belle not ready for their situation to be made public. Hook also remembered a time when he had wallowed so deep in his misery, that the pirate had been ready to kill anyone who tried to draw him out of it. Fortunately for him, Belle wasn't anywhere as bloodthirsty. She merely did the slightest of flinching recoil when he took hold of her wrist, rather than lash out or slap him instead. 

Belle held herself still for the brushing of his lips across the back of her hand, the woman then nearly stumbling when Hook tugged her to walk besides him. He didn't immediately let go of her hand, excited for once for something other than sex. Belle was wary, actually sighing as they walked down the stairs that led off the Jolly Roger. 

The second both their feet touched down on the pier, the ship vanished from their sight. There wasn't so much as sound to betray it's location, Cora's spell working it's magic. It was a bit unsettling to just have the ship disappear like that, and Hook wondered how long Cora's spell would truly last. It's purpose had been served, the Jolly Roger hidden long enough for both Cora and Hook to get closer to their goals. Cora might not yet be wreaking havoc in Storybrooke, but the pirate was sure she would soon. The sorceress might want her daughter, but Hook didn't believe for one second that helping Regina to pick up the pieces of her life would go off as a peaceful endeavor. Regina would want a revenge of her own, and her mother would be all too quick to give it to her. 

Hook wasn't overly concerned with what would happen then. His partnership with Cora was technically at an end, the two having parted ways not long after arriving in Storybrooke. Except for a few gifts, and an invaluable assistance that had saved Hook's life the very first night of their arrival in this realm, Cora was basically gone from his life. And he preferred it that way. For as much as they had worked together, they had also spent a fair amount of time turning against one another. Hook had betrayed Cora more than once, the pirate ruthless and quick to fall into the camp of whoever could get him to Storybrooke first. And the back and forth between Cora and the Savior, had been such, that Hook hadn't known who would be the sure bet. In the end it had been both, albeit through different routes. 

Hook hadn't been an idle player in all this. He had helped Cora just as much as she had him, the pirate actually giving her hope in her most despairing of hours. After the portal had closed behind the Savior and her mother, Cora's shoulders had actually sagged in defeat until Hook had showed her the shriveled up bean he had procured. Of course the bean would have done him no good on his own. It had needed the sorceress to draw forth the healing waters of the dried up lake. Together, they had made their own path, and because of this they didn't truly owe one another a thing. 

Not even the spell on his ship tilted a debt in Cora's favor. Hiding the Jolly Roger was helping the sorceress as much as the pirate, and he told Belle exactly that. He watched her as she tore he gaze from the spot the invisible ship occupied, her brow wrinkling with her frown. But she wasn't stumped for long, Belle slowly nodding. 

"Cora didn't want anyone to know she was here." 

"No doubt about that." Hook said. "As many fine ships as there are in this harbor, none are quite like my Roger, and that's before you take into account her special properties." 

"Special properties? Such as?" 

"She's made entirely of enchanted wood." Hook explained. 

"Enchanted wood, but that's..." Belle suddenly shook her head no. "No wait...it is possible. You come from a time before the woods itself were depleted." 

"A lot changes over time." Hook told her. "Even a minute, a second, can make a difference. Let alone the years that I've lived." 

"It must have been unsettling." Belle said to his surprise. "To come back home, and find the Enchanted Realm had changed so much." 

"The Roger has been the only home I've ever needed." Hook told her, but nodded all the same. "But the changes to the realm, the progress that had been made, was shocking to say the least." 

"Changes for the better?" Belle asked, then frowned when Hook told her no. 

"Don't get me wrong. Most of the improvements were welcome. But some of the things lost...it was a damn shame to see so much of magic just gone." 

"Magic?" Her brows lifted up. "I would think you of all people would despise magic." 

"I don't despise it, just those who misuse it." Hook corrected her, and took hold of her hand. 

"Like Rumplestiltskin? Or...Cora...?" Belle shook her head. "How could you align yourself with that....that witch?" 

"Desperate times, love." Hook answered, as he led her off the pier. "And Cora's no worse than Rumplestiltskin." 

"That's not..." But then Belle was biting at her bottom lip, stopping herself from protesting any further. Hook smiled in approval, taking that as a sign she was one step closer to accepting the truth, albeit grudgingly. 

"Don't get me wrong....I'm sure given a chance, Cora COULD become worse than him." Belle reacted in surprise. Hook supposed his words did surprise her, as if she hadn't expected him to make a case for even the chance of someone being worse than Rumplestiltskin. "But really who has that kind of time?" 

She seem to deflate for one second, before a fierce flame sparked in her blue gaze. "You for one." 

"Me?" 

"You found a way to live just as long as Rumplestiltskin has." Belle pointed out. "Why couldn't Cora?" 

"She'd hardly be happy in Neverland." Hook said with a snort of amusement. And it was comical, trying to imagine Cora taming the wilderness of Neverland with her magic. Never mind that the magic that cultivated Neverland to be a wild paradise, was a boys to master. All the people Cora needed to surround herself with, to enslave and torture, simply didn't exist in Neverland. After all, what good was being a queen, if there was no one around to admire and fear you? 

"Neverland..." Belle murmured, some of her fire dying, replaced with the oddest of looks instead. 

"You've heard of it?" Hook asked, surprised for one moment. "Ah but you were the Dark One's slave. I suppose he's had reason to mention it?" 

"It wasn't from Rumplestiltskin that I learned the name." Belle corrected him. "Neverland wasn't a place often talked about in the enchanted kingdom, if at all." 

"Then where?" 

"There's truly a lot you don't know about when it comes to this realm." Belle said it as though she was just truly accepting of that. 

"I mean to change that." Hook told her. "Knowledge is power after all, and I'm intrigued at the idea that a world like this one would know about Neverland when few had that knowledge in our own homeland." 

They were walking through the docks as they talked, with only a few people around to give Hook and Belle curious stares. Hook truly looked around, though the goings on of the harbor's docks was something he had already had plenty of chance to study. Nothing stood out as particularly unusual, or magical, to the point Hook couldn't imagine Neverland being common knowledge in this realm. 

"Oh it is known..." Belle said, and her words only intrigued him more. "Kind of." 

"Kind of?" Hook asked with a lift of his brow. "And that means?" 

"Neverland, along with many of the people of our home land, all exists as stories to the people of this realm." Belle finally explained. "Our lives, our world's history, nothing more than children's tales." 

Hook was stunned, and even more so at what Belle next said. "Even you pirate, haven't escaped this. I don't know how, or why....or even if this all serves as some greater purpose. But it's all there, handed down through the ages, although with some....changes to it." 

"Even me..." Hook breathed out, very curious as to what could have been said. "That's a story I would very much like to see." 

"I wouldn't bother." Belle grumbled. "It's not a particularly flattering story, but then what pirate story is?" 

"Something the realms have in common then." Hook muttered. But he still wanted to see, a part of him thrilling at the thought of his and Milah's love being immortalized in a book somewhere. And then the rest of what Belle had said registered, Hook frowning. "Changes? What changes?" 

"Some of the details aren't always right." Is all Belle answered with. 

"But most of it is?" Hook asked sharply. Belle just shrugged, which made Hook frown harder. "If they recorded our history..." He began slowly. "Made it the stuff of their children's tales...I suppose it had to be changed enough to hide the evils certain people have done." 

"Rumplestiltskin's a villain in at least one of his tales." Belle voice had a snap to it, like she was getting increasingly angry with this topic. 

"One of his tales? How many are there?" 

"A few..." Belle muttered. 

"No doubt you've read them." Hook guessed. "And no doubt they were changed enough for you to not realize the truth about him." He knew he was on the mark by the angry color of her face, Belle turning red from her heightened emotion. 

"I don't know why this world has our history as their stories. Or why they've been changed enough to blur the truth of some of what happened." Belle explained with clenching teeth. "But I certainly don't believe it was all an elaborate trick concocted by Rumplestiltskin to keep the wool pulled over my eyes. The man did think I was dead for most of the twenty eight years we've existed in this realm!" 

That surprised him enough that Hook momentarily lost interest in the stories. "Dead? Because of the queen?" 

"The EVIL queen." Belle snapped. "She made sure to keep me locked up even here." 

"Then however did you escape her?" Hook was genuinely curious. 

"I didn't....not without help." 

"Rumplestiltskin?" guessed Hook, further surprised when Belle shook her head no. 

"No, it was someone else. He wouldn't give me his name, just told me where to go to find Rumplestiltskin. Shortly after, the savior broke the curse on us all." 

"And magic then came to Storybrooke?" 

"What makes you think magic wasn't already here?" Belle asked. 

"Something Cora said." Hook told her. "We were not expecting magic to be here. I thought I'd finally be able to face Rumplestiltskin on equal grounds." He didn't imagine the shiver Belle did then or the disturbed look that came to her eyes. "Cora saved my life that first night....warning me about the presence of magic. If she hadn't..." 

"Rumplestiltskin would have most likely killed you." Belle finished with a quiet tone of voice. 

Hook nodded, absolutely serious. "Yes. For all that we've done to each other, all the hurt and betrayals and backstabbing....we've also helped each other quite a bit. " 

"So you owe her then?" 

"No, not at all. I'd say we're even." Hook retorted. "After everything that's happened, and the fact it took both of us to find a way and use it, to get to Storybrooke, neither one of us owes the other any amount of debt." 

"For your sake I hope Cora thinks that way too." Belle said it sincere enough, but Hook couldn't resist teasing her. 

"Oh my, is that honest concern for my well being you've just expressed?" 

Still a bit red from her earlier upset, Belle still managed to blush in addition to stammering out a protest. "I..I am not concerned for you! Not in the slightest!" 

Before Hook could truly say anything else, Belle all but stomped on ahead of him. Her injury from the other day, had had enough time to heal, to the point she could take such forceful, angry steps without so much as a flinch or cry of pain. Hook was left staring at her back, trying his best not to openly laugh. To him, Belle's reaction was a fine example of the lady protesting just a little too much. Hook didn't fool himself into thinking Belle liked him, but he did think that maybe, just maybe she was starting to warm up to him. Which didn't seem all that impossible, Hook considering himself a handsome pirate that was irresistible to most sensible thinking women. His thinking included Belle in that, and his ego would have suffered quite a tremendous blow if he had even suspected the truth behind Belle's concerns.... 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..it's been four weeks since I updated this. it has not been a good time for me emotions wise. This chapter is the only writing I've managed to FINALLY complete in the four weeks that have passed. Its been a bad time, I've been majorly depressed and scared. Mainly it's medical stuff....the night after the night I posted twenty of The Trade Off, I started experiencing numbness in my left pinky finger. Long story short, now TWO fingers are numb, and changing day to day, cause sometimes the numbness extends to my wrist area on the side with the numb fingers. It has made me scared, and then put me in an awful depression, and I found it incredibly hard to write anything that isn't like uber dark and depressing. I keep telling myself I would write something dark and super depressing once I got this chapter of Trade Off finished...but we shall see. As for my numb situation, my doctor is sending me for some kind of EMG test but not until the middle of January. I'm very upset by this wait... 
> 
> I also feel very disappointed in myself, because of not being able to be productive writing wise. I hate that I didn't get any chapters written for any of my fics. =/ 
> 
> I want to thank Zerousy for looking at the original conversation I had written....even though I ended up trashing it, cause I really felt it was boring or sucked. I am much happier with the conversation, with the whole thing then what I showed her. One thing that got side tracked but will hopefully get used in a future chapter, is when Hook was learning they're all stories in our world, I wanted him to ask Belle what story she and Rumple were a part of. So I really hope to get that moment in at some point in this fic's future. :) 
> 
> Most of the conversation was finally written this morning. Before that, Hooks thoughts, a lot of it, I would just write a paragraph here and there...then give in to my depression and stop writing. Hope the part where I kept stopping to break and wallow, doesn't suck because of that. 
> 
> I also thought they'd be further along into the shopping/exploring Storybrooke part of it....but alas they just barely got through the docks. I'm actually thinking next chapter will be a Belle POV, when i get around to it. To me it just seems like the excursion could be a lot of fun, but I don't know if it's wise to try and force it out of me at this time. But we'll see...I feel bad, I've lost like four weeks I could have written updates for this and other stories of mine. I know, I know...I'm beating myself up too much.....sorry.... 
> 
> I do hope you all enjoy this chapter, and aren't too bothered by such a long wait. *sheepish look* One more thing. I haven't fogotten that Hook, Cora, and Regina can cross the boundary and not lose their memories, their real selves. But Hook doesn't know that in this story.
> 
> \----Michelle


	22. Twenty Two

The question had caught her off guard. It and it’s teasing undertone stealing a reaction out of her. One that hadn't been thought through, Belle on the defensive, an embarrassed warmth heating her from the inside out, as she had snapped out a reply.

“I...I am not concerned for you! Not in the slightest!”

She hadn't stuck around for Hook’s reply. With those words voiced, she had marched on ahead of him. Her heeled shoes click clacked loudly on the pavement, Belle taking purposeful, angry steps that did nothing to alleviate the feelings inside her. It was a startling contrast to how she had been feeling, these past three days spent wrapped in the dull ache of her unending depression. The small spike of anger she had now felt, it surged stronger when she thought of the pirate, of his smirk, of the look in his eyes, of the way he had sounded and especially over the fact that she had just squandered the most perfect of opportunities with her defensive outburst.

It had been a purely emotional reaction, a startled defense born of her own embarrassed response to how Hook’s teasing had made her feel. She had felt the warmth fill her, had known she was blushing, caught off guard by the question and the assumptions he might be making. It shouldn't have mattered, Belle shouldn't have been even half as bothered as she had let herself be. That she had, wasn't even the biggest of the problems, Belle realizing that the perfect opportunity may have just been lost. The chance to dig deeper about Cora, about Hook’s dealings with her, and any tidbit of info Belle could have gleaned from such a conversation. The realization that she had wasted what had been the perfect chance to pry deeper, had Belle’s temper in over load. 

The anger that filled her now, was directed inwards, Belle furious with herself. The woman wondered how she could be such a fool, wondered why she even let the pirate get to her so easily. But most of all, she wondered how and if the conversation could steer back towards Cora without rousing the pirate’s suspicion. She very much doubted it, which was yet another reason for Belle to feel so angry, the woman’s volatile emotions spinning out of control, as every thing, both big and small seemed to hit all at once. Everything from the losses still so fresh in her mind, to the hand closing around hers, and most especially the awareness of the fact that there were other people about. Out and about, and staring with unrestrained judgment at Belle and the smiling man, who was quite calmly walking side by side, hand in hand with the beauty.

She immediately tried to pull away, but the pirate’s fingers brooked no resistance. Belle glared daggers at Hook, but the pirate only smiled all the more broadly for it. His dark blue eyes danced with his amusement, Hook in far too good a mood for Belle to tolerate.

“I loathe you.” She hissed it at a whisper, conscious of the eyes on them, on HER in particular. She suddenly felt even more self conscious, remembering her stockings and just how—WHO had torn them to shreds and for what reason why. It didn't matter that the worst of the tearing was covered by her skirt, or that the worst these people could do was openly speculate. But rumors didn't need proving, and already Belle could feel her reputation tarnishing. 

“This was a mistake.” She added, trying to stop Hook’s forward progress. He might have slowed just a little, but never did the pirate outright stop. He kept right on walking, and tugging her along with him, wearing that easy go lucky smirk, that belied the seriousness of his words.

“The only mistake would be to go back to the ship.” He told her. “Now THAT would surely give them something to wag their tongues about.”

Her cheeks surely flamed redder, Belle realizing he was right. She didn't have to like that fact, but she did slowly bow her head as in defeat. Hook’s chiding sound, had Belle looking back up, the man nodding in approval.

“That’s it, love.” He said. “Keep your head held high, and your back straight. You've done NOTHING wrong, and don't for a second let them make you believe it.”

Belle found herself rapidly blinking her eyes at him, more than a little confused by what he was saying. “Nothing wrong?” She scoffed then. “How can you say that?” Belle asked. “When I...when everything….”

“You managed the best you could, in an unenviable situation.” Hook interrupted. “There’s not many that can lay claim to THAT, myself included.”

“I did the only thing I could, made the only choice there was...” Belle protested.

“You sacrificed yourself for the….the man that you love.” He acknowledged in a gruff tone. “That’s to be admired, not reviled.” A pause then, as though Hook couldn't help but be flippant and teasing. “Though your choice in just who to give your heart to, now that...that could be called into question.”

She felt warm, but it wasn't quite as angry a heat as it could have been. “The heart can't help what it wants….”

“The world might be a happier, healthier place if it could...” Hook muttered. “But there’s no use in wishing it was otherwise, or in wasting time on regrets and should have been. You---we can only move forward, and hope for the best.”

“Hope for the best?” She repeated it as a question. “And what is it that you hope for?”

Hook shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly? I haven't the faintest of clues. It’s been so long, so many years spent chasing after my revenge, that I hadn't put thought into hoping for anything else, let alone wanting to. Although...” A sidelong glance was given her, Belle’s lips parting on a silent breath. “I’m starting to think of a few things I could aim for.”

It didn't matter that Belle quickly looked away. She still saw the self satisfied smirk, and the knowing look in his blue eyes. 

“Ah but I suppose such things will have to wait until AFTER we get back to my ship.” Hook continued with a laugh. That sound rolled over her, Belle shivering as though cold. Hook’s fingers then squeezed hers, but she refused to be goaded into looking back at him. Belle simply didn't trust her reaction, what sort of response she would give him in the moment. It kept her quiet, the woman almost meek as she walked hand in hand with the pirate. The eyes of the townspeople seemed to press in on them, on HER, sharp and inquisitive, and ready to fill in the blanks. Belle couldn't help but wonder how much they were piecing together, what kind of speculations they were having, the ideas that were forming. It didn't seem to matter that the pirate was somewhat on his best behavior, that he hadn't done anything worse than hold her hand. Just his mere presence besides her was enough of a damning evidence.

Belle wanted to cringe, to cower in the face of the townspeople’s judgment. Instead she stiffened her spine, kept her head held high, and tried to act as though there was nothing unusual about her and the man who was walking beside her. It couldn't be further from the truth, the pirate a striking, handsome man who drew many a lady’s admiring eye, and even that of a few of the men. Hook gave the outward appearance of not noticing the looks he was getting, calmly stopping for the traffic signals, and waiting patiently for the lights to change. 

She wouldn't immediately realize the oddity of his behavior. Not for another three blocks, and then abruptly Belle would stop dead in her tracks. Hook would feel the tug of resistance from her, the man turning, looking at her wide eyed stare, as Belle stammered out a question. “How...how did...when did...why are you...?”

The woman didn't just look at him as she asked this. Belle turned her head on occasion, to stare across the street. At the cars, and at the traffic lights, Belle shaking her head again and again in confusion.

“Hmm?” Hook asked with an arch of his eyebrow. “Oh that? It wasn't THAT hard to figure out.” He told her. “I mean, something HAD to be making those horseless carriages stop. All it took was a little observing to figure out just what the trick behind it was.”

“Of course...” The pirate added in a casual tone. “It didn't mean I wasn't absolutely terrified the first few times I had to cross one of these roads!”

She couldn't help the surprise that colored her expression at that. That Hook had found something terrifying, let alone admitted to it? It was a moment of honesty she had not been expecting to be privy to.

"I couldn't imagine trying it myself." Belle admitted softly to him. "Not without the knowledge the queen's curse has given me of such things."

“You're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.” Hook said in reply. He smiled brightly at her. “You're like ME, a risk taker.”

Belle couldn't help bristling at being compared to him in that way, in ANY way, even one that was actually true. “Some risks are NOT worth taking.” She snapped. “Not if they could cost you, your life.”

"Now I'm not sure I believe you believe that." Hook told her, his grin giving way to a far more serious expression. “You did come to my ship after all. Even knowing the danger that would surely put you in.”

He had started to reach out to her, his hook’s tip catching at one of the curling strands of her hair when Belle spoke up. “I didn't think you'd kill me.” That hook paused in it’s motion, the look the pirate flashed her one born of complete disbelief. “Not really.” She added in a soft, hesitating tone. “I mean, it’s not like I even knew the real reason behind this blood feud of yours.”

“Would you still have come, if you had known?” His expression was a study of serious, those dark eyes curious but holding an intensity to them that froze Belle in place. It made her think long and hard about her answer, Belle finally looking away.

“Yes.” Belle finally whispered it. “I would have still come.” She heard him exhale a sharp breath before speaking.

"You were THAT loyal to him?" 

He sounded amazed, but Belle couldn't focus on that. “I was---I STILL AM!” Out the corner of her eye, she saw Hook shake his head no. “I would do ANYTHING for him.” She added in a broken tone. “Anything...”

“Not that it’s something he can appreciate.” His words stung her more strongly than if Hook had chosen to slap her. A soft sniffle was the only response she could give voice to, Belle’s eyes starting to well with tears. Hook’s furious expression softened somewhat, the man muttering a kind of apology to her.

“Sorry.” He said. “The last thing you need is me digging the knife in any deeper. Not when you already know what kind of bastard the crocodile actually is.” His words were met with another round of sniffles. 

“Here....” He added. Letting go of her hand to reach into his coat’s pocket. A cloth was withdrawn, Hook using the soft fabric to dab at Belle’s face. “Let’s try to put him past us. At least for one day.”

“For one day?” She repeated uncertainly. It didn't seem possible, and yet for one moment, Belle wanted to try. It wasn't that she was in any way over Rumplestiltskin, or that she was free of the depression that clung to her like a second skin. But she was tired, sick of being weighted down by her negative feelings, and the misery she had continued to wallow in. A misery that served no one, least of all Belle, and definitely not that of Storybrooke. 

“I can do one day.” Her tone was determined, Belle rewarded with a smile from the pirate. She couldn't manage a smile back at him, not even a half hearted attempt at pretending. But it felt as if some understanding had been reached, some unspoken agreement to not so much as mention Rumplestiltskin’s name.

 

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may come back and tinker with the contents of this chapter. Super unhappy with it. Am giving up for now on this particular chapter. So! Long time no update. I have honestly been trying to update this story since 2014. yes twenty fourteen. This chapter has had me so stuck, and it feels like filler more than anything. I have reread the story at least five times, and always I get stuck on how to bridge the gap from last chapter to what is coming. It’s my hope getting this chapter finally done, the next will prove...well not easier, but maybe it will come quicker to write? I don't know....I so want to get to a certain parts of their date on the town. But it’s been SO hard to get this chapter resembling anything I can be satisfied with. I have like three or four drafts from over the years...trashed them all, and started from scratch again. Not sure its any good. Am stressing way to much about this.
> 
> This is normally the part I write responses to my reviews, but as it’s been a few years, I wonder if I should....well I'll answer this much at least. Nx loveless xn, wrote a few comments/questions I felt needed addressing. One, the scenes in this story all take place before Hook learns from Regina that he and Cora can cross the town line. So right now at this point and time he thinks he'll be cursed too. If you remember the season, Hook didn't learn he could cross the town line until after he had been out of the hospital.
> 
> Also, Rumple only had enough potion to enchant Smee’s cap, and Baelfire’s shawl. However, if I understood the scenes right, each person needed an item special to them to act as a talisman. So Smee’s cap wouldn't have worked for Rumplestiltskin.
> 
> In other news, during my reread, I tweaked some words in each chapter, fixed some name spellings, and also the first chapter got the most work done to it, as I fixed number of opening paragraphs to try and make it flow more smoothly and satisfactory to me. But it’s still the same story, just with a few added words here and there. 
> 
> Okay I am done rambling! Would love to get some feedback on this chapter, heck on the whole story! Thanks if you've read this far. And extra thanks if you're a returning reader. I'm flattered if you waited for this...though I wish the chapter could have been something better than the filler feel of it...X_X
> 
> \---Michelle


	23. Twenty Three

She was a brave one, Hook noted in his head. Of that there was little doubt, Belle the kind of woman whose courage and spirit had been forged in the hottest of fires. Tempered by those flames, the beauty herself was a blaze, her determination something that could never die out for good. That determination was what had led her to deal with monsters, to stare down danger head on. That same determination steeled in her now, the pirate smiling his approval as the beauty Belle held her head up high. She was almost defiant as she met the blatant stares of passersby, her fingers squeezing tighter around Hook’s. That squeeze was a subtle sign of her own internal anxiety, a tell tale flinch that only Hook was privy too. 

Giving her a gentle squeeze back, Hook couldn't help grinning as he thought how the day was looking more and more up. The change of scenery had surely been needed, but more than that, a change in attitude was what was benefiting the beauty the most. Hook realized now he had been going about it all wrong, his little digs and barbs, those blatant insults and insinuations about the crocodile, hurting not helping Belle. Or HIM for that matter, Hook understanding he hadn't been endearing himself in any way to the woman by continuing to malign the person that she had loved. It didn't mean he could completely stop, he was after all no saint, especially when it came to Rumplestiltskin, to the hurt that monster had done him. But for one day? Hook thought he could manage.

Rumplestiltskin and all talk of him banned for the day, Hook set about to enjoying this outing with Belle. To enjoying and exploring the town with her, Storybrooke a large self enclosed kingdom Hook had yet to properly experience. Oh he had seen parts of it, especially the busy main street where the crocodile’s place of business had been, but so far much of Hook’s time in Storybrooke had been spent skulking in shadows. It hadn't been just Rumplestiltskin he had set to avoid, but the savior and her mother, and to a lesser extent the beauty Belle. Hook hadn't been sure she would remember him, but the pirate had been determined to avoid any and every one that could recognize him, the man content to sit back and wait for the most perfect of moments.

Belle had been the one to ultimately hand him that moment, her arrival on his ship a veritable domino effect that had led to Rumplestiltskin’s heart’s downfall. And with that bit of revenge taken care of, there was nothing that needed doing, save to reap the rewards of the victory Belle herself had given to Hook. He couldn't stop smiling, a kind of buoyancy to his long rotted heart. Something was birthing inside him, feelings and desires once buried, even forgotten, as the pirate realized and acknowledged he was not only enjoying himself, he was starting to look forward to life. To living, to doing more than just existing, his wants and desires wrapped so tightly with the woman whose hand he was now gripping. Belle was doing this, was making him want to be alive, to live and experience and it didn't all have to do with the revenge rubbing in Rumplestiltskin’s face.

Given a reason to not only live, but to do something besides exist for his revenge, Hook was finding he was looking forward to what could come next. Making a go at a life, a home with the beauty, and all that could entail. Purpose. Hook was starting to believe that there was a purpose to his life besides Milah’s revenge. He wasn't thinking in terms of love, assuming that ship had already sailed for him. But the pirate did think he and Belle could be happy together, and as always, Hook was convinced he was infinitely better for the beauty than that monster Rumplestiltskin could ever be. But he kept such thoughts to himself, almost biting at his tongue, to keep from letting a snide comment escape him. 

It would take the better part of the hour to reach the busy thoroughfare that passed as Storybrooke’s business district. Main street wasn't all that far from the docks, but the trip still took some time when traveling on foot. Everywhere took time in this land, Storybrooke a large kingdom that encompassed much of Mysthaven, the enchanted realm. Calling it a town wasn't even accurate, this place huge like some thriving capital, the city nearly quadrupled the size of anything back in the realm. It HAD to be, to hold all the people from so many of the different kingdoms that the queen’s magic had cursed.

Hook didn’t know a lot of the people by name, but he could and did recognize nationalities. There were people walking about, and he counted among them, those who had to have originated from King George’s Kingdom, and the golden ruler, Midas’ land as well. There was so many from Queen Snow White’s homeland, and there were fairies, and dwarves, and even a were wolf or two making their home in this town. There was people hailing from as far out as Nottingham, and Belle herself was the princess of Avonlea. Truly, there was a representatives from all the corners of Mysthaven. It was really quite remarkable, and Hook couldn't keep from marveling over this aspect. He said as much out loud, Belle pausing to look around as though in surprise.

“You're right.” She said, slowly. “Storybrooke is a melting pot of many cultures. Or at least it SHOULD be.”

“Should?” Hook questioned. 

Belle shrugged in response, a sad light in her eyes that Hook didn't like seeing one bit. “Haven't you noticed? We've all LOST our identities. We're not who we once were, our culture and traditions lost.”

“What do you mean?”

“The curse. It stripped us our original lives...made us all believe in it’s lies. But just because the lives we endured for the last twenty eight years are false ones handed to us...it doesn't make them any less lived.” She sighed then. “We have twenty eight years of new memories, of false culture and beliefs. We're of two lives now, and not many can reconcile between them. No one wants what the curse handed us, but few if any know how to move forward as who we once were. We just go on living our Storybrooke lives, losing more and more of ourselves in the process.”

“So what would be the solution?” He asked. “Break the curse....?”

“The curse has already been broken.” Belle interrupted him. “Emma herself saw to that.”

“Ah Swan. The town’s savior....” Although from the sound of it, she hadn't so much saved everyone, as awakened them to a whole new set of problems. Hook could admit to being curious, trying to imagine what it would be like to awakened from one life, to discover the joys and pains of having lived another. “But surely there is SOME good that has come of this?”

Belle looked like she had to give real thought on it. “Something?” He prodded her with an arch of an eyebrow. “Anything at all?”

“Modern comforts.” Belle finally muttered with a sigh. “The medicines, the mass production of goods and food, the jobs and education afforded everyone. Everyone lives a better style of life here, at least when it comes to material goods...”

“At least you all suffered in style.” remarked Hook. “That should compensate for something at least...”

“Maybe...” But she sounded doubtful. To the point that Hook decided a new tact was in order.

“So tell me, love.” He smiled encouragement at her. “What is YOUR favorite part of this modern world?”

“My favorite part?” She repeated with a slight head tilt to the side. But Belle didn't have to think long. “The books.” 

“Books?” Hook frowned. “But that much was at least available in the many kingdoms of Mysthaven!”

“Not like it is here!” Belle protested. “You would not believe how many books exist in this world. Books about any thing and everything!” Her expression had lightened some, the look in her eyes speaking on how passionate this woman was about her books. “Educational books, reference tomes, even leisure reading. It’s...it’s amazing. And if one good thing can be said about the curse, it granted everyone a small boon.”

“And that is?”

“It gave every one of us the ability to READ these books.” That much was amazing, and Hook could admit to it. She very nearly smiled then, her sweetly kissable lips drawing his attention to them. “I could spend several lifetimes here, and not have enough time to read them all.”

“I enjoy a good book myself.” Hook admitted, though he hadn't spent much time these last few centuries on leisure reading. “But Belle, darling? A word of advice....”

“Yes?”

“You don't just want to read about life. You've got to go out and live it.” He told her, and watched the faintest of color dust her cheeks.

“Er....” She hesitated. “That hasn't always worked out so well for me...”

“Oh?” Hook arched an eyebrow at her.

“Books are far safer than the adventures I've had....”

“And what sort of adventures were those?” He asked her.

“I wasn't always a prisoner in a tower.” She reminded him. “And though my father tried to shelter me as a princess...there was a few times....”

“A few times what?”

“It doesn't matter.” She said at last. “It never ends well....”

“Sounds to me you just haven't been having the right adventures then.” Hook told her, then grinned. “Fortunately for you, I excel at those.” 

There was a pause, Belle blinking slowly and repeatedly at him. “And just what sort of adventure do you think is to be found here in Storybrooke?”

“Not yet sure.” Hook admitted. “But I am sure there will be something. For now I am content with the adventure of discovery.”

“Discovery?” She repeated. “And what is it you think there is to discover?”

“You're looking at this town with the wrong set of eyes.” Hook used their entwined grip, to tug Belle over to a store’s window. “For me, just about everything here is some new marvel or wonder!”

The window in front of them, had several large rectangular boxes, with glass screens set in front of them. Each screen showed a moving picture, people and animals in motion, laughing, loving, even in one case, physically fighting. 

“The television?!” Belle’s voice was a surprised exclamation of sound. “Everyone has one of those.”

“Everyone?” He asked sharply. “What sort of magic is this, that everyone can use it?”

“It’s not magic.” Belle explained. “It’s science.”

“Science?”

“Well I don't know the exact details....save to say it’s no spell. It’s a modern world’s invention, sort of like having your own private theatre troupe come to put on a show for you as often and as many times as you'd like.” She said. “Some people would say television is even better than books...”

“But not you.” It was an accurate statement too, Belle nodding her head.

“Not me.” She agreed. “It’s wonderful on occasion, but there is nothing quite like a book, having to use your own imagination to picture the people and their settings. The written word can explore so much, can delve in deep into the heart of a matter, into the very emotion a person is feeling.”

“Hmmm...” Hook thought about it. “There is that. Although....” His look was a mix of sheepish admittance, and almost childlike’s enthusiasm. “I still would like to purchase one of these...”

Again that slow, repeated blinking,, as though it was a physical sign of Belle having to think on how to react to him. “You want a television?” Hook nodded an affirmative. “Uh...” She glanced at the store window, then at the pirate once more. “I don't think...that is....the Jolly Roger isn't exactly equipped for once of these....I mean for one to actually work!”

He was disappointed and it showed. “But....I don't know, maybe they have something battery powered you can use.” 

“Battery powered? More of the modern world’s brand of magic?” Hook asked.

“Um....I guess you could think of it that way.” Belle hesitated. “Though it’s more a matter of science. Televisions require a source of energy....that energy is a form of power called electricity. This world harnesses it through power plants, and wires...”

“Where can we get one of these power plants?”

“Oh it’s not a plant plant!” Belle quickly protested. “I meant the name of a kind of large building. It supplies the power to the town, through cables and wires. I don't believe it’s possible to outfit the Jolly Roger with these wires. Not if you want to still be able to sail it!”

“Bloody hell...”

“A LOT of this world’s inventions, require electricity...” Belle added. “But there are some things, that can use a thing called a battery. Think of it as a small portable form of energy....though it doesn't last all that long.” Now she was the one tugging on his hand, half dragging a still visibly disappointed Hook into the television store. A store Hook would learn had many other things, weird and marvelous inventions that Belle named as cell phones and computers, and even a small box that played music. He was looking around in utter fascination catching sight of another, much larger television. It’s screen showed a mirror image of the store, and Hook nearly jumped back, when HIS and Belle’s image appeared on it.

She actually giggled at his startled reaction. “Don't worry! You're still here, and it didn't steal your soul or anything.” Belle looked around. “There must be a camera somewhere around here....”

“A camera?”

“A video camera to be exact.” Belle clarified. “Think of it as one of the many necessary tools to make the theatre troupe’s performance show up on a television set. Though that is really over simplifying it....”

“Ah...” But he was only half listening, walking over to the screen. He waved at it, and saw his reflection wave as well. He moved fast, and depending on where he stood, the image sometimes vanished completely from the screen. “Fascinating...” He muttered, and turned to look for Belle. She was standing talking to a woman, dressed in colors of black and navy blue. The woman would nod, and hurry off just as Hook sauntered over.

“Good news!” Belle said almost brightly. “They do have a battery operated radio!”

“Radio?”

“it’s not quite the same as a television, but you can at least LISTEN to things on it.” She explained. “The news, or music....do you like music?”

“Depends on the song....”

“Funny, I'm much the same way when it comes to music that is...” Belle murmured it absentmindedly. “But I'm sure you'll be able to find something you'll like to listen to on it....” A pause, and then she gave him a sidelong glance. “Provided you have the money for it.”

“I've plenty of money.” Hook reminded her. “I'm rich from all my many years of plunder!”

“Ah that’s right. I do recall you making such claim.”

He bristled at that. “Was no claim, but mere fact! My mate Smee has been busy converting my gold into this world’s currency...although...” A frown, Hook reaching into his pocket to pull out a very thick wad of greenish colored paper. “How this paper can be worth even half as much as my actual gold, I'll never understand...” But Belle’s eyes had grown big like two huge saucers at the sight of that thick stack of cash. She wasn't the only one, the woman in black and blue nearly falling over upon her return to be accommodating. With Belle’s guidance, Hook would purchase a reasonable price radio that ran on batteries, and also consumed something called cds. The pirate didn't much understand it, and there was a time he wouldn't have believed a person’s voice could be recorded and stored for others to listen to at any time, but Hook was rapidly becoming a fan of the modern’s world’s many marvels and inventions.

He was still slightly disappointed over the television box, but was satisfied to have purchased the radio device. Belle assured him that they could always come back and purchase some of those cd things, once they had a better idea of the kind of music he might enjoy. He was overwhelmed at the many genres she revealed existed for music, Hook never imagining there could be that many songs. It seemed the modern world, was a time of inventions, of creation, plays, books, and music rivaling each other in insane amounts.

Belle made him pocket the rest of the still thick wad of money before they walked out of the store. She seemed worried about thieves, though Hook scoffed at the idea. He'd gut anyone who tried to rob him, or hurt the beauty, but that didn't seem to reassure her either.

“There are LAWS here. And don't pretend you do not know what those are!” She added quickly. “People may not like stealing, but they frown even worse on assault and murder! You'd best let the sheriff deal with handing out justice, rather than take it into your hand and your hook.....”

“A man’s got a right to protect what is his!” Hook protested. “Things can't be that different that that much would change!”

“No....but...” Belle shook her head. “Things are more complicated....you can get in a whole lot of trouble depending on how you handle a dangerous situation. You might end up in the jail cell next to the one who attacked you!” She touched his arm. “So please....try to....try to curb your first natural impulse IF we run into a pick pocket or something....”

“Fine...I'll try.” He grumbled at her. “But I make no promises....” Belle sighed in response, the most put upon sound he had ever heard. “Are you worried for me, love?”

“No.” She instantly denied. “Just wondering who if anyone would go pay your bail if you were arrested.”

“You wouldn't?” He asked in surprise.

“I don't exactly have much money to my name...” Belle pointed out. 

“That won't be much of a problem for you anymore.” He said to her. “You're my woman, love, and entitled to your own share of my plunder.”

“I don't...I don't want your money!” She protested.

“You may not want it, but that won't stop me from taking care of you.” He told her. “And if for some reason I can't, Smee will be on hand to help you with whatever you need.”

“Smee....You keep mentioning that name. But I don't even know who that is, or what he looks like....or if Smee is even a he!”

“You'll meet him soon enough.” He caught around her arm with his hook in a gentle fashion. “But for now, what say we get you some clothes?” He was already trying to tug her towards a store, one that had life sized dolls in it’s windows, all modeling what the pirate assumed was clothing for sale. She wasn't anywhere as reluctant as Belle could have pretended, the woman actually tempted by the idea of a new wardrobe. They walked into the store, the jingle jangle of the bell over the doorway alerting the clerk and every other women inside to the pirate and his beauty.

He smiled his most charming smile at the women ogling them, then escorted Belle over to a section of racks and clothing. He was still holding the bag with the radio in it, but used his hook to carefully touch some of the racked up clothing. She was looking too, and her eyes had gone big again, like they had when she first saw the amount of green paper money Smee had gotten him.

“Don't worry love...” He tried to be reassuring. “Whatever it is, I can more than afford it!”

“Er...” She was looking at a white tag with some writing on it. “I'm not sure this section is right for me, or for your purse strings!” Belle took hold of his arm, and led him over to another part of the store. “As nice as some of those fabrics and designs are, I wouldn't feel right at those prices.” She shook her head. “I know you think you have enough, but....I'd rather not run you out of ALL your money on a few dresses!”

Belle seemed more at ease in this section, nodding to herself as she examined some of the white pieces of cardboard. “Much better.” She said, but it was murmured more to herself than to him. Hook began looking at the different outfits, even eyeing some of the clothing on two life sized dolls standing in the middle of the section. One had skin tight blue trousers on, the kind that the Swan woman often wore. The other doll had a short skirt on, it’s downright indecent length the perfect display for legs that were as lovely as Belle’s.

“Belle...” He spoke with a grin, and heard the sharp intake of breath. “What do you think, love?”

“Oh no...” She said, frantically waving a hand in the doll’s direction. “I am NOT wearing a skirt THAT short!”

“But...” he started to say, but her scathing tone cut him off.

“I am a librarian, not a street walker!” Belle huffed. 

Hook couldn't help frowning as he processed her words. “I'm sorry.” He apologized. “I didn't realize...”

“Didn't realize what?” Belle hissed in a soft, but furious tone. “Do you think me a....” She shook her head, as though the woman couldn't bear to finish the thought.

“Never that, love!” He quickly protested. “It’s just....from a Mysthaven’s point of view, the clothes of this modern world, the way the women all dress, it’s all so scandalous and provocative. It’s terribly difficult for me to know what is the acceptable stuff, and what passes as indecent for THIS world.”

“Ah....when you put it that way...” Belle appeared mollified. “Okay...there’s such a thing as too tight, too short, and too low cut. If it looks too, too, TOO revealing, or like I might spill out of or pop out of, then that’s a no. We're not even CONSIDERING it. Got it?”

“Got it....” But he glanced at the short skirt again when her back was turned, the pirate disappointed he would not get to see Belle wear it. A little less enthusiastically, he began drafting about the racks of clothing, trying to find something that was sexy but retained enough modesty to it for Belle not to protest. The beauty also was looking through the clothing, draping things over her right arm, as she found her size and a style to her liking. He was about to approach her with his own selections, when a wolf’s growl was in his ear.

“What are YOU doing here?!”

Hook turned, and looked at the wolf, her red streaked, black hair almost as wild as her clothing. She looked to be existing in an in between, not quite as covered up as Belle would be, but still retaining some modicum of decency to her attire. She was also breathing slightly hard, as though she had run all the way here, and Hook supposed that was a very real possibility.

“Ruby?!” Belle squeaked out in surprise, having noticed the wolf, and approached her. “What...why are you here?”

“I'm here because I am concerned for you, Belle!” Ruby retorted. “it’s all over town!” She added, before Hook or the beauty could ask the wolf how she had known where they are. “Everyone is talking!”

“Everyone?!” Belle was dismayed.

“Surely you exaggerate.” Added Hook.

“Well...” Ruby frowned. “Well maybe a little. But it’s all main street and Granny’s in particular can talk about. Belle walking around town, shopping with an incredibly handsome man.”

Hook couldn't help perking up at that, smirking to hear that the town’s many gossips considered him a looker. He might not have said so out loud, but the wolf gave him her most withering look. “They only think that because they don't know what a lecherous pervert you are!”

“But you do, so that’s why you came here?” Hook asked. “And to do what? Protect your friend from the big bad pirate? When she’s already made her choice clear?”

Ruby let out a wordless snarl, and advanced on Hook. 

“Ruby!” Belle hissed. “Don't make an even bigger scene!”

Never taking her eyes off of the pirate, Ruby addressed the brown haired beauty. “We NEED to TALK.” She snagged hold of Belle’s arm, the woman startled into dropping the clothes that she had been holding.

“By all means...” Hook muttered, as the wolf dragged off Belle to another part of the store. He bent to pick up the clothing Belle had dropped, then shot a glare in the direction of the two women. Belle’s back was to him, but the wolf was gesturing wildly. He didn't know what was being said, Ruby speaking in a tightlipped manner that made it difficult to make out the words that were being said.

Belle was standing tall and straight, with only the slightest flinching being done at whatever was being said by the wolf. It still concerned him, Hook worried Ruby would somehow talk Belle into leaving. He had to keep reminding himself that Belle was loyal to a fault, that the beauty would adhere to the bargain she had struck. That he would doubt one of the qualities he had so admired in her, bothered the pirate, Hook frowning and making a show of keeping his distance from the beauty and her wolfish friend. Though Ruby no longer looked his way, the pirate wasn't fooled into believing the wolf didn't know of his every precise gesture and movement. That was fine with him, for he was keeping close tabs on Belle in turn.

Or at least he was, until a woman hit him with some overly strong smelling flower. Hook turned with a glare aimed at the saleswoman, her smile faltering as she timidly asked him if he would like to buy a bottle of what she had sprayed him with. He was all set to snarl out an answer, but then he noticed a display behind her. One of the life sized dolls dressed in the flimsiest of scraps, the material sheer silk, and see through lace. It wasn't alone. All manner of ruffly creation, and sexy, scandalous, indecent attire was on display. Hook all but forgot about the saleswoman, drifting over to what he would later learn was the lingerie section of the store.

 

To be Continued!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! This chapter was easier to write. Had a little difficulty to get it started, but once I did it started to flow. Unfortunately I worried it felt like too much filler, but I have been looking forward to them shopping for YEARS. And yes, Hook discovering the victoria’s secret display is the funny bit I believe I mentioned in an author’s note a long, long time ago! I have been so eager to get his discover of it, and Belle’s reaction to his discovering it written!
> 
> Also forgot to say something, when writing my last author’s note. Basically I wanted to say how it’s difficult to write this, and not let newer seasons affect some of the stuff...mainly some of the Rumple Milah Hook stuff I was gonna write for when Belle finally gets the nerve to read Milah’s journal. The cannon shouldn't affect most of the rest of the story. Just it might influence me heavily for the journal stuff!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! And reviewing! Would love some feedback! :) It makes me want to write even more when I get reviews! XD
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> \---Michelle


	24. Twenty Four

There was the sound of a great many fabrics rustling, and a softer thump of the clothing falling to the floor. Belle just barely avoided trampling over them with her own feet, her friend Ruby seeming uncaring of the potential for damage as she forcibly dragged the woman to another part of the store. Ruby’s nails dug just a little too harshly into Belle’s skin, the woman gripping her harder as though she feared and would tolerate no resistance from the brown haired beauty. Belle was more startled than anything by this, thinking Ruby overreacted a little too much, but then she also didn't know just what the town’s gossips might have been saying. What sort of stories they might have been spinning, or just how much Hook and Belle’s about town dealings might have been embellished. Belle knew she hadn't done anything wrong, or even that worthy of noting, but the fact remained that she was being seen about town with another man. A known and unreformed, unrepentant pirate who had had dealings with many people long before the curse had hit, and sent everyone to this modern realm.

More than that, she was keenly aware of how a full week had not even passed. It was fact that it was only a handful of days since that scene with Rumplestiltskin and Ruby, Belle remembering the humiliation of his public rejection and dismissal, and how it had sent her spiraling into a kind of suicidal depression. That depression had never left her, though it had fluctuated in levels of the intensity in which it had struck at her. Even now she felt it, like a great wave preparing to crash into her, Belle’s dismay over how the townspeople were probably piecing together a guess as to what had happened between Belle and Rumple, and how the new man, Hook, played a part in that drama.

Her expression took on a shifty, haunted look, Belle’s eyes colored a downcast blue. She felt like a fool, a needy, useless twit who was only making her situation and reputation worse by being seen with Hook. She should have never agreed to go out with him, Belle should have been content to wallow in the misery that was her life. Only that kind of torture and self pity, wouldn't have helped her with own self appointed goal. A goal she had made no real inroads in, Belle having wasted time and ample opportunity towards dredging up the truth about Cora from Hook.

They were almost on the other side of the store, far enough from the pirate and many of the other women shopping, so that Ruby could heatedly hiss in a whisper at Belle without fear of anyone eavesdropping. The tight line of her mouth as she spoke, would make it difficult to lip read the dark haired woman, but her agitation was apparent in the way that Ruby kept wildly moving and waving her hands about.

“What are you doing?” Ruby demanded, and Belle couldn't help but flinch at the soft snarl of the woman’s voice. She wasn't used to Ruby directing such anger towards her, and Belle’s self pity and depression was such that it made it difficult to properly go on the defensive. “Why are you traipsing around town with him?!”

Belle merely shrugged, unable to put into words an excuse. She was reeling, sadness and guilt tearing away at her, Belle cornered and with no real results to show for it.

Something in the way that she held herself, and the tortured expression that Belle wore, tempered the worst of Ruby’s anger. The wolf would actually soften her own fierce expression, and start to gently cup the side of Belle’s face.

“Hey.” She said, her whisper no longer so furious. “I'm just worried about you. I haven't heard from you in days, and now it’s all anyone could talk about. You and that pirate walking hand in hand about town!”

“I'm...I'm sorry.” Belle whispered. “I haven't been able to get away, not without rousing Hook’s suspicions.” 

“To hell with him!” Ruby stated bluntly. “If you want to leave, LEAVE.” Her finger touched on Belle’s lips, shushing the words Belle was about to protest with. “You don't have to do this. You don't have to...to be with him to help us against Cora. And you don't have to stay out of some twisted obligation to honor the deal he FORCED you into.”

“It’s not as bad as that...” Belle finally said, when Ruby’s hand dropped from her face. The wolf’s eyes flashed in response, a clear cut signal of her agitation sparking in response to what Belle had just said.

“Not so bad?!” She gestured wildly, her voice a little louder before she dropped it down to a soft hiss. “He made you sleep with him!”

“He offered the deal….I was the one who chose to accept it.” Belle then shook her head, catching at Ruby’s flailing right hand. “Ruby...I'm fine. Really.” The wolfish woman stared searchingly into Belle’s eyes.

“No you're not.” She said at last. “Anyone with half a brain can see that you're hurting.”

“I am.,” Belle acknowledged with a sad twist of her lips. “But I am coping as best I can. And Hook….well the pirate has been...behaving more or less.” She shifted nervously, as Ruby gave her a disbelieving look. “He’s almost, ALMOST respecting my wishes on this, not forcing me to honor the deal and sleep with him.”

“I don't believe it. I can't!” Ruby protested vehemently. “That lecherous snake can no more keep his hand to himself, than a leopard can change it’s spots!”

“You'd be surprised.” Belle said mildly, choosing to not reveal that Hook did in fact keep trying to touch her, and to seduce her. He wanted her submission, wanted the woman to give in to him on this, but Belle also noted how he had backed off somewhat when the brown haired beauty had worked the deal to her favor. They hadn't had sex since, though the tension remained. More than once had Belle caught Hook touching and caressing on her, while she pretended to still be asleep.

She shared none of this with Ruby, knowing the wolf was likely to go into a feral rage and attack Hook for his daring. “Anyway...” She chose to try to change the subject, although easing into something else wasn't exactly an effortless endeavor. “I'm sorry I haven't been able to contact you. The pirate’s ship isn't exactly equipped for modern technologies, and the battery life on my cell has long since run out….”

She hesitated, then actually let go of Ruby's hand, to fidget her own fingers together. The dark haired woman placed a hand over Belle’s, trying to stop the worst of that nervous play of fingers. “Besides...there hasn't been much point.”

“Not much point?!” Ruby was more than a little aghast and outraged at that. “Belle….you...”

“I'm not trying to isolate myself from you!” She quickly interrupted. “It’s just...I haven't been exactly successful in finding out anything useful about the witch….” Belle sighed. “I am a failure in even that.”

“You are NOT a failure!” Ruby protested. “Information just takes time to acquire….” But the woman didn't look happy as she said that. 

“I wish I was better at this.” Belle admitted. “I let my own depression and hurt rule me. It’s already led me to squander so many chances…” The brown haired beauty bit at her lip, not quite sure she should reveal how for the last three or so days she hadn't been really trying to dig deep for the information the Charmings so desperately needed. 

“It’s all right….”

“No, it’s NOT.” Belle insisted. “Cora NEEDS to be stopped. The town itself can't...shouldn't run the risk of what she and her daughter will do if united.” She let out the heaviest of sighs. “But so far? So far I have nothing, the pirate not so much as admitting to continued contact with the witch…..”

Ruby frowned. “So he’s a liar, on top of a pervert and a manipulator...big surprise there.”

“I'm not entirely sure about the liar part.” Belle admitted. “He seems so unconcerned about Cora and whatever she might be doing. Almost like they have both washed their hands of each other.”

“Or both could be just biding their time until they have need of one another….” Ruby pointed out, then frowned harder when all Belle did was a helpless shrugging of her shoulders. “So then what?” She asked her. “You're just going to keep playing pretend at a relationship with him in the hopes you can somehow help us in the long run?”

“I did make a deal AND a promise.” Belle pointed out. “But really...I don't know. I honestly don't. For too, too long, I made my life all about Rumplestiltskin….and now I have nothing.”

“You have friends.” Ruby retorted, then gave a soft smile. “You have ME.”

“And I appreciate it, every last one of you.” Belle gave her a tearful look of gratitude. “But I don't know what to do with myself, what my life, what I am without him. I have to try, I have to discover the real me and my purpose in life…and if this time with Hook buys me the chance to find the answer to that as well as potentially help us with Cora….”

Ruby was shaking her head no, looking far more displeased then Belle could ever remember seeing. “It'll be okay.” Belle tried to reassure her. “I will be okay.” 

“Just don't make yourself completely about helping people at the sacrifice of your own well being.” Ruby advised. “And if at any time you feel in danger from Hook, I want you to abandon the plan. Just...just walk out before he can hurt you worst than he already has.”

“I don't think he wants to hurt me.” She admitted after a pause. “I don't think that he’s actually even really tried...”  
“There’s a lot of ways to be hurt. Don't forget that just because he takes you out shopping.” retorted Ruby. Another frowning twist of her lips, the wolf looking directly towards something behind Belle. “That pervert...where does he even get the money for these things?”

“Oh that?” Belle said, slowly starting to turn to see what exactly Ruby was glaring at. She almost slapped her forehead then. “I'm an idiot.” She announced. “I am!” She added, turning back to Ruby to stave off the protest she knew was coming. “I didn't once think to mention this until now! There’s a man, some friend of his. Goes by the name of Smee. Apparently he’s the one who liquidated Hook’s gold from his days of plunder.”

“Smee?” Ruby repeated the name. “I'll do some digging. See if I can find anything. Maybe David can help...”

“Wouldn't Emma be the better choice?” Belle asked. “It is my understanding our sheriff once made a living hunting down people...”

“Er...Emma has left town.”

“What? When….WHY?!” Belle demanded, shocked. Ruby was the one who shifted now, looking uncomfortable at Belle’s questions. “Ruby!?”

“It was Gold.” Ruby finally admitted with as long, drawn out sigh. “He...uh….made her go with him to look for his son….”

“And she just left with him?”

“He didn't give her much choice….He called in a favor she owed him. And off they went, with Henry in tow...Seems the curse doesn't affect the savior or her son, and Gold needed a guide in the outside world...” Ruby explained.

“Oh...”

“He’s such a bastard.” Ruby muttered with a shake of her head. “He left, even with the danger of Cora on the loose...he left us to our own devices, without even so much as a protection spell. I know you have always tried to believe the best in him, but where you try to help people a tad too much, Gold doesn't try to help at all.”

“Ruby...”

“I am sorry, but it’s the truth. At this point I almost can't think of anyone worst than Gold, except for the pirate!” She again glared at something behind Belle. “Better go stop him before he buys out the whole display…..”

“Display?” Confused, Belle once again began to turn. This time she got an uninterrupted view of the pirate, and just what he was doing and where. “Oh, no…” Belle breathed out in dismay and disbelief. “No, no, no!”

Standing in the center of the aisles that made up the lingerie section of the store, the pirate looked like a child let loose in a candy store. His smirk was unbelievable broad, his blue eyes dark with excitement and a hint of aroused desires. One of the store clerks was standing near to him, her arms full of the flimsy scraps of clothing that passed for underwear and nighties. The pirate was actively adding more to her load, and if Belle hadn't been so distraught about this, she would have noticed that he had set aside not only the bag with the radio, but the clothing he had been carrying. 

“Well...” Ruby’s voice sounded strained with her sympathies. “At least it’s only Victoria’s Secret. That stuff is loads more tasteful than the stuff found in Frederick’s of Hollywood's catalogue.”

Belle couldn't manage a reply, taking a step forward, and then another, and another, until she was all but running. She skidded to a halt in front of the pirate, waving her own hands frantically. “No.” She said out loud and firmly. “We….You….” She trailed off as the look in his eyes kicked up a few notches, the hint of arousal a full five alarm blaze as he stared at her in blatant sexual hunger.

“Don't even think about it!” Belle exclaimed, crossing her arms rather prudishly over her chest. She felt as though his stare was burning through her clothing, as though Hook was already imagining what she would look like in one of those skimpy nighties. “You are not buying me underwear!” Her voice had come out louder than she had intended, several of the store’s women looking their way. Belle’s face flushed crimson, her embarrassment high as she glared at Hook.

“Now, now love...” He began in a perfectly reasonably sounding tone. But the effect was ruined by the lust on his face, the way he looked at her, and the slow, perverse way Hook had licked his lips before speaking. “This is something you NEED. Or do you want to walk around with nothing on under your dress?”

That last had been husky whisper, Hook stepping close to Belle so that only she could hear him. She colored even worst, her head shaking slightly in a no response. 

“I've no problem with it either way.” He continued with that grin. “Clothed or nude, I love your body regardless of what you wear.”

“Why are you like this?” Belle’s tone was a strained whisper, her eyes blinking rapidly to hold back the angry wet moisture. Hook cocked his head to the side, making an inquisitive noise. “You WERE being nice, even tolerable I'd say. I almost...”

“Almost what, love?”

“I almost forgot you are nothing more than a lecherous pirate.” She whispered sadly. “Does it make you happy to do this to me? To tease and humiliate me?”

He looked surprised then. “It was never my intention to humiliate you!”

“But you have all the same! And you continue to do it.” She gestured wildly with her left arm, aware all the women in the store were still staring at them. “Both publicly and privately, and it’s more than I can bare.”

“Belle….love..”

“My life is in ruins, my reputation tattered beyond repair thanks in no small part to you.” She continued. “When will it end? When will you be satisfied with your torment of me?”

“Bloody hell, LISTEN to me!” He snapped back. “It’s never been about humiliating you!”

“If not that, then what?” She asked. He didn't immediately answer, Belle blinking back more tears. “This is about him, isn't it? You want Rumplestiltskin to hurt, to make assumptions about just what else we are doing. You're still chasing after your revenge.”

 

“I wasn't thinking about revenge for once!” Hook interrupted her with a snarl. “I wasn't thinking much about anything aside from how you would look in one of these garments!” He stepped back, let out a harsh breath, and ran the palm of his hand over his face. “Damn it lass, I am STILL a man. I have wants and desire, and though I am keeping a leash on the worst of them, when I see something like that, it’s...” He shook his head, looking flustered. “I saw it, and could think of nothing but how much I wanted to see you in one of them. Just picturing it in my head, filled me with the fiercest of wants….YOU fill me with the fiercest of wants, and I won’t apologize for being so attracted to you.”

She was hardly mollified, the heat of her skin blazing with her embarrassed warmth. “You're not buying me underwear.” She repeated, then amended. “You are not picking me out underwear! Or a nightie, or any type of lingerie.” She gave a haughty sniff. “If I buy anything here, it will be of my choice, and no one else’s. Is that understood?”

His lips pressed together in a tightlipped frown, but the pirate nodded a yes. Belle couldn't manage much of a reaction back, her own lips tight together with her displeasure. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Ruby watching, the woman having crossed her arms over her own chest.

“I'm sorry.” Belle turned to the store clerk. “Please put those back, and give me a few minutes to make my own selections.” Her cheeks were still burning with her blush, Belle turning her back on Hook, and on most of the women in the store. She kept her head held high, as she went to pick out some bras and panties that were of a much more modest design than what Hook had been choosing. Wordlessly, Hook fell into step besides her, shadowing her as she moved around the aisles. They didn't actually talk, Belle handing him dresses and things to hold, as she made her selections. Hook was soon laden down more than the store clerk had been, and if Belle hadn't been so worked up with her upset, she might have giggled at the sight of the pirate staggering under all those clothes.

 

Ruby was still in the store, and though she still stood in that rigid and unforgiving stance, there was a slight smirk to her lips, as though she too was wanting to laugh at the pirate. Hook seemed to be properly chastised for his earlier behavior, the man quiet and thoughtful as he followed Belle around. She couldn't help mirror him in that, though Belle pretended to lose herself into the shopping. But inwardly, she was thinking, mulling over the things he had said earlier. The attraction was no surprise, Belle didn't think he would have slept with her if he hadn't felt a desire for her. But the thing that did send an unpleasant shiver through her, was the depth of how much he admitted to wanting her. It made her more uneasy than flattered, Belle wondering how long a lust starved man could go before he snapped. And with that, came Ruby’s words, the wolf having had advised Belle to just give up and leave before the pirate could hurt her any worst.

She wasn't really one to quit, at least not when it truly mattered. Belle had her moments of weakness and indecision, such as when she had nearly succeeded in cursing herself to oblivion, but ultimately Belle was a fighter. For people and for beliefs. Never once did she think that it was a battle of when she would give in, Belle certain she would never be so weak as to give in to the lust the pirate tried to ignite inside her. But just as she was confidant where her own wants and desires laid, Belle wasn't so certain about Hook. Pirates in general had a notoriously bad reputation, especially when it came to women and the lust that they inspired. To be at the mercy of one, even a pirate you had parlayed a deal with? It was a frightening, chill including situation.

Belle could only hope that Hook’s attraction to her, that terribly desperate want, would be enough to keep him from turning against her should he realize her own scheming where his connection to Cora was concerned. She held back her sigh, and walked towards one of the half a dozen registers located inside the store. The clerk was more than happy to make the sale, even with the lingerie she had had to put back. 

Hook still had a fairly thick sized wad of cash, even after purchasing Belle a completely new wardrobe. He was bogged down with bags, including the one with his radio. Belle herself carried a few of the lighter bags, and Ruby had wordlessly joined in the endeavor by taking a hold of a few herself.

“Well!” Ruby said with a strained smile. “What say we go to Granny’s and get something to eat?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Belle murmured her agreement. But she didn't feel as hungry as she should, her appetite dulled by depression and her upset and worry with Hook.

Granny’s diner wasn't located that far from where they were now. Main street was a large strip of land dedicated solely to businesses, the length of which covered roughly twenty blocks. The diner was only three blocks over, and since it was well past lunch time, it was only half as crowded as it could have been. 

“There you are!” Granny grumbled a greeting to Belle and Ruby. “You ran out in the middle of your shift at the most busiest time of the day!”

“I had a...a family emergency.” Ruby told her grandmother, nodding at Belle. Granny merely hmphed in reply, and threw an apron at Ruby. 

“Well she looks fine now, so get your butt back to work!” The older woman advised.

“Fine, fine...” Ruby grumbled, and glanced at Belle worriedly. 

“I'm fine.” She once again stressed. “I can handle things...handle him..”

“Be careful regardless.” Ruby advised. 

“Always.” Belle reassured her. Ruby stepped away to go take an order, the woman reaching into her apron’s pocket for the notepad and pen kept there. Belle turned away from her, and saw that Hook had set down the packages and had slid into a booth with them. Belle fought not to sigh, squared her shoulders as though gearing up for battle, and walked over to join him.

She didn't intend to say much of anything to him, sliding behind the booth’s table. She ended up seated across from him, and her hands went to play with a napkin. His hand suddenly reached out and covered hers, stilling her nervous fidgeting. Belle looked up at him, and the expression in her eyes was wary. 

“Yes?”

“I...” The pirate looked extremely uncomfortable, as though he was about to admit to something he didn't often have reason to say. “I am sorry.”

All Belle could do was blink in surprise, the apology that unexpected. 

“I mean it.” He added. “I was a...unthinking, lustful buffoon. I hurt you and made you uncomfortable, and for that I apologize.” He shifted in his seat, still cover her hand with his. He appeared to be waiting for Belle to say something, but she couldn't think of what to say.

“Belle, love...”

“What can I get you?” Ruby interrupted, having finished with the other diner’s order. Hook frowned, and tossed a glare up at the woman, the wolf ignoring him completely.

“I...I think I'll skip my usual.” Belle said, thinking that a cheeseburger and fries was too heavy a meal for the way that she was feeling. “Maybe a salad then? Caesar’s style.”

“One Caesar style salad with the house dressing coming right up.” Ruby looked about ready to leave, when Belle spoke up again.

“How about you, Hook? What would you like?”

Now he was the one blinking, as though surprised Belle had finally deigned to speak to him once again. “Er...” He hesitated. “Don't know much about this world’s food. What would you recommend?”

“I'm not yet familiar with all your tastes...” Belle thoughtfully mused. “But you can't go wrong with Granny’s bacon and cheese burger.”

“Cheese burger?” He frowned, and she was again reminded he didn't know much about this world, and that included it’s food and it’s lingo. “What is that?”

“It’s a thick patty of meat between two pieces of bread. You can get hot melted cheese on it, and bacon, and some lettuce and other toppings if you want.” Belle watched as his brow drew together, Hook given careful consideration to it. “It’s really good.” She added, while Ruby gave off an air of complete and total impatience towards the pirate.

“I'm sure I could whip up a plate of rat poison for you.” She muttered. “That’s about the only thing you deserve...”

“Ruby!” Belle admonished with a sharp gasp. Hook glanced at the wolf, then turned his attention back to Belle.

“I'll try this...this cheese burger then.” He told her. “I'll take it with everything BUT that rat poison you mentioned.”

“Hmph.” The scritch scratch of Ruby’s pen sounded angry, the woman then walking off with out another word. Belle gazed after the dark haired woman for a few more seconds, then felt Hook touch her hand again.

“I really do apologize.”

Belle bit at her lip, not missing the way that simple act drew Hook’s gaze to her mouth. For once he managed to not appear lustful, but Belle couldn't forget the intense way he often did stare back at her. He just had a way about him, a way of making her uncomfortable more often than not. Her whole situation with him was that, though for a brief time today, he had made her forget the worst side of it, of him.

“What do you hope to hear me say?” She finally asked. “That you are forgiven, that it was okay?”

He shook his head no. “I know that it wasn't.” Hook followed those words with a sigh. Belle just looked at him, content to let him struggle, the man trying to find the right words. “I guess..I guess I am just wanting reassurance. I want to know I haven't completely fucked up everything between us.”

“You haven't.” Belle told him, but before the smile could truly blossom on his face, she pulled her hand out from beneath his. “There was nothing left that you could mess up any further.” She heard the hoarse tone in which he said her name, as though Belle had wounded him. She steeled her heart, and made ice water run through her veins, Belle shaking her head no. “There was never any us….I am with you, only because I honor the deals that I make.”

Looking stunned, Hook let out a deep breath. “Aye.” He said at last, with a slow nod of his head. “You do. That staggering sense of honor...it is just one of the things that amazes me about you.”

She felt ill at ease with the admiration he now voiced, Belle aware it wasn't just honor that had kept her with him. She wondered if that would lessen his opinion of her if Hook were to find out she was in effect using their deal to try and dig deep for any tidbit of information Ruby and the Charmings could use against Cora. But more than that, the beauty wondered why she had let it matter, the feelings actually tightening in her chest. Was it fear of his reaction to it, the fear of what he would and could do in retaliation? Or was it something as simple as Belle not liking to see anyone get hurt, not even someone like the pirate who had more than earned the right to a comeuppance?

She just didn't know, and that bothered Belle most of all.

 

To be Continued….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit iffy on how I chose to end the chapter. It felt like anything else would just drag it on, and really I want to time skip them past eating, and possibly have them back at his ship. I'm definitely thinking twenty five will be a Hook POV for the narrative….but that’s not completely set in stone. Who knows, after I spell check and proofread, I might feel the need to continue with a Belle POV. :p
> 
> I wrote most of this last night, but then around five in the morning, just as the cheese burger part was reached, my brain shut down. I think I could have finished it if I hadn't had a set back a little earlier in the chapter. Basically...I got all the way to the part where Belle runs over to Hook in the lingerie department, and then it went all horribly wrong. He was worse than usual, and she slapped him, and ran out the store. He ran out after her, and the attempt at the dialogue that followed….it was just totally derailing the fic and the chapter. So I had to trash that bit of writing, and tackle the scene from a different angle. And it worked for me so much better in an attempt two!
> 
> It’s funny how things play out differently from what I first imagine. I've known for a long time about the lingerie scene, but in my head, it was much simpler. Just her telling him no, and him going, “Shame.” I actually originally thought he'd either shop lift, or secretly buy her some skimpy thing when she was distracted. But I also, had considered at one point, her in a changing room, and him coming inside it, to try and seduce her. Clearly none of that seemed like a good idea by the time I actually got to this particular moment in the fic.
> 
> Actually imagining Hook is rather subdued...not for the rest of the fic, no never that! He is still gonna be trying to seduce her. But I like to imagine the days events has given him something to think about, and might delay him trying to perv on her at least for one more day! This is the part I get shot by all the people clamoring for smut! XD
> 
> Sometimes I over think my own story, and get stuck. There was a scene with Cora I originally imagined happening when they got back to the ship, but then I realized there was no way I would have the relationship advanced to where I wanted and needed it to be….Cora’s got a role in this story, but perhaps not the way you might be assuming. The story is far from over...so far….I am starting to stress and worry about how to advance not only to that scene, the story but Hook and Belle’s relationship.
> 
> I'm also thinking there will be more shopping outings in the near future. Since neither of them have a car, they have to carry everything back, so I am thinking Hook getting modern world clothes will have to wait for another day! XD
> 
> One thing I am bummed about, is I wanted to somehow get them to the library, and Belle would let him have the book with his fairytale in it...but now with the way the lingerie incident went down, it doesn't feel natural for that particular scene. I'm still gonna try for it in a later chapter and story day!
> 
> At this point I should stop babbling. Need to go grab breakfast after all! Thanks for reading!
> 
> \----Michelle


	25. Twenty Five

His heart was no longer quite so buoyant. It hadn't been for hours now, the uplifted feeling inside of him, starting to wither, to die with the realizations of his mistakes. It hadn't out right started in the clothing store, not when he had been too blinded by his lust. Not there, when the skimpy garments on display, had left little room in his head to think of anything else but the idea of dressing Belle in one of those outrageously sexy outfits. He had actually visualized it, Belle in one of those outfits, it’s fabric not so much covering as enhancing an already lovely as sin body. The fiercest of wants had hit him, and had only grown worse when the woman herself had appeared before him in the flesh. It hadn't mattered that she was frantic, that she was upset, even angry. Hook had wanted, and wanted now, and it had taken a self control the man hadn't realized he still possessed, to not pounce on the beauty then and there.

Lusting more strongly for her than ever, his heart had been wild. HE had been wild, leaning in to whisper in her face, to steal as close as possible before her words had made him freeze.

“Why are you like this?” Belle had asked. Her voice had been too soft, the strain of it choking with the emotions that she was feeling, the blink blink of her wet eyes getting through to Hook on some level, as the man realized the woman was trying not to cry.

Some of the lust had left him then, retreating to some shadowy corner of his soul. It wasn't gone completely, Hook still wanting Belle and wanting her badly. But her whispered comments, that plaintive cry had gutted him more thoroughly than his hook with their revelations. Because it wasn't just that Belle was refusing him, so much as the realization that for an all too brief moment he had somehow behaved in a way that had made her forget about her established notions of him.

For one second, by her own admission, Belle had seen Hook as something other than a lecherous pirate. And it had HURT her to be reminded of otherwise, that aspect of his nature an ugly, cruel desire that left him as well Belle ashamed. Because it wasn't his desire to hurt her, or to humiliate her, but more than that, Hook had been alarmed to realize how much it had bothered him to have upset her. But it was more than just her upset, Hook having realized he was uncomfortable with just how MUCH he was coming to want and need Belle. Even more uncomfortable was in admitting it out loud, for the woman herself to hear and acknowledge.

Worst yet, he had seen by the look on her face, how much that level of desire had bothered her. As though Belle had felt safe when thinking his lust was born only of his revenge, and not because Hook had wanted HER too. She might have been the catalyst for achieving his revenge, but the kind of qualities she possessed, the kind of woman Belle was proving to be, had made his success all the more sweeter a satisfaction for it.

He didn't love her, hell, Hook didn't think it was possible for his heart to care for anyone to that strong a degree. Not now, not after three hundred years of wallowing in misery and hate. But he LIKED Belle, and wanted her to like him in turn. That was a revelation in of itself, Hook actually caring enough to want her to be happy with him. It had subdued him, Hook having turned quiet, as he had shadowed Belle about the clothing store. He had let her buy what she had wanted, without any input from him, the man achieving a level of restraint the pirate was not used to reaching.

The next soul gutting revelation came at the diner. He had felt horrible for how he had made Belle feel, for how he might have messed things up between them, especially after she had started to see a glimpse of something beyond his lusty pirate side. Hook had tried to apologize. Hell, he had tried several times, reaching out to touch her hand, and speak quietly with words of regret, but also with a kind of hope. He wasn't used to that last, a true and genuine kind of hope something that had been in such short supply where his heart had been concerned. That hope he held on a breath, waiting, waiting for Belle to assure him in that much at least.

“I want to know I haven't completely fucked up everything between us.”

It had all come tumbling down, like a wave crashing into his heart. For one, one brief second, she had let his hope soar, and then Belle had snatched her hand out from under his.

“There was nothing left that you could mess up any further.” It was then, then that Belle had reminded him of their deal. Reminded him of how she was with him only because the beauty was a person who honored such things. Hook could barely remember what he had said in reply to her, too stunned, too full of the feeling that was now hurting in his heart. The regret that was trying to bloom, a new ache on top of old losses, Hook wondering how or if there was any way to salvage his hope, and his dreams.

Dreams! Astonishment had flared to life inside him then, Hook having stared shocked across the table at Belle, with his lips slightly parted. She really was having an effect on him, awakening him to more than just lust, if he could ever, even for a single second, hold the rumblings of a dream in his heart. He had stared at her, and wondered what kind of magic she might have possessed, something that was strong enough to affect not one but two beasts of a men. There was just something about her, some quiet appeal beyond the beauty of her face, and the sexy curves of her body, that drew a man in. That made him want things, both real and impossible, Hook realizing then that now more than ever he wanted her future and her happiness tied together with his.

The cheeseburger Hook had ordered at Belle’s urging, was like ashes to him, the pirate’s senses dulled, taste and smell lost. He still ate, the motions of his mouth mechanical, as he sat there staring off into the distance of his thoughts. Belle didn't once try to talk to him, but then Hook didn't once try to engage her himself. He was too busy thinking, worrying. Knowing he had messed up, and wondering how or if he could turn things around.

His lust was a problem. It’s level of strength, the want that it made him feel when he so much as looked at Belle, it made a ruin of his ability to behave. Worse yet, was that Hook wasn't used to trying, the man hardly a person to hold back on taking what he wanted, and when. He was completely out of practice with controlling himself, with wanting to, Hook never before having had any reason to hold back. He wasn't even sure if Belle herself could be that kind of incentive, not when he was going half mad with the wanting of her. He really was a man starving, and his appetite was only growing worse the longer he went without. 

He shut his eyes with a muted groan, blocking out the sight of the beauty before him, but not the memory of Belle at her most passionate. The writhing phantoms of the beauty at the peak of her pleasure, the remembered feel of her fitted snug around him, the honeyed taste of her arousal on his tongue, Hook was aware of how long it had been. Right down to the minute it seemed, Hook knowing it had been more than three days since, and every second without threatened his sanity just a little bit more.

He was glad for the bags in his hand. They kept him from reaching out to her, from trying to touch her. From grabbing and kissing Belle right in the middle of the somewhat empty docks. Because Hook knew, KNEW, he wouldn't stop at just one kiss. He almost never did, content to go further than what Belle was comfortable with, which wasn't saying much, when the woman wanted little to do with the pirate and his lusts. That much had always been clear, no matter how much he had tried to arouse her, Belle had somehow always managed to resist. Not even at her most breathless, her luscious body writhing under him, a soft sheen of sweat beading on her pale skin, Belle’s breasts heaving, her voice a tortured moan, and she had never once begged him to do anything but stop.

She tormented him with her refusals. He tortured her in turn with his sexual expertise. His devastating skill left them both crazed, Belle wet and aching, Hook’s cock harder than he could have thought possible. He didn't understand how Belle could resist him. But then Hook didn't understand how he was supposed to resist her.

His breath was ragged when he remembered to exhale, Hook staring at Belle, at her back and her body, the dress snug around her hips. Her skirt was short, but not to the point where anyone could consider it indecent, and it covered the worst of the rips Hook had made in her stockings. There was an angry bounce to her steps, a slight sway to her hips, Belle being sexually provocative without even trying. He found himself locked onto the hemline of her dress, watching it’s skirt bounce and rustle with her motion, Hook spying glimpse of pale skin through the worst of the tears that he had done. He was still staring when she abruptly stopped, Belle’s voice an angry, snarling gasp of sound.

“YOU!?”

He had nearly walked into her, Hook not having expected that snarl or that she would just stop without warning. Somehow he managed to avoid her, and to tear his eyes from the tantalizing visage of her skirt’s hemline, just in time to see just what, just who, had attracted the beauty’s anger. 

The man was a familiar sight, though the nervous expression on his face was worst than anything Hook could remember the old pirate wearing. Not even the time when Hook at his most furious, had threatened to gut the man for his incompetence, had Smee come close to looking like this. He was nervous, but it wasn't so much that he was scared, but that he was completely full of regret, anxiously looking at the beauty as though he would welcome a slap from her.

It was the same kind of subservient energy that had spared him many a man’s wrath, Captain Hook’s included. The old pirate Smee wasn't the type to fight back, not with words, and not with his fists, the man ready instead to submit to all manner of abuse if it meant it would keep him alive. That he was clearly waiting, even welcoming of Belle’s imagined rage, made Hook wonder what Smee could have possibly done to her and how. 

“Smee...” Hook said in a level and guarded tone. “Is there something you neglected to tell me?”

“You know him?!” Belle had turned slightly, standing in such a way that she could keep an eye on both of the men. She was beyond upset at this point, a wary light in her blue eyes, Belle suddenly flinching when Smee shifted in place. The old pirate had snatched off the red knit wool cap he normally wore a top his head, choosing instead to crumple it between his hands. He still looked so apologetic, so subservient and submissive, glancing at Belle, then looking with real fear at Hook.

“Captain...it wasn't that I was neglecting to tell you...” He began. “I just...”

“You just what?” At this point Hook decided to carefully set down the many bags he had been carrying, Belle not flinching quite as much as she had when Smee had moved to take hold of his cap. “You can't possibly expect me to believe that you forgot. That it slipped your mind to mention you had a dealing with a woman as beautiful as her. A woman who has had a close connection to the enemy we had been hunting for some three hundred years?”

“Um well.....that is....” 

“Just what did you do?” Nothing but a stammering from Smee, Hook never taking his glare off of him, as he then addressed Belle. “What manner of foul encounter did you have with him?”

“He...”

“It was a month or two back!” Smee cried out over Belle. “Long before you made your way to Storybrooke and made Miss Belle your woman! I...I had no idea, no way of knowing if you even stood a chance of finding your way here, let alone what role she would play, or ust how important the young miss would be to your revenge!”

Belle had visually bristled when Smee had called her Hook’s woman, the woman glaring at the older pirate. 

“What did you do?” Hook repeated in a harsher tone of voice.

“I would have never done it if I had thought there was even a chance of you coming!” Smee cried out. “But Captain, the curse had just broken, and I was so LOST, and then her father had approached me, and had offered to pay me a handsome sum to send Miss Belle away!”

“Away?” Hook echoed with a frown. “Away HOW?”

“By sending me over the town line.” Belle spoke before Smee could. She sounded bitter and upset. “Not even my own father wanted me to be with Rumplestiltskin.”

Smee was nodding rapidly. “He'd rather she forget everything, then be with that monster!” He glanced quickly at Belle, but his attention was all for his captain. “I would have never done it, not knowing what your revenge means, not knowing that you were going to find a way here!”

He finally looked away from Smee, to stare instead at Belle. Her eyes were angry, but more than that feeling, she looked upset. Sad even. It was then that Hook wondered about her father, about what might have happened to HIM.

“Belle, love...?” Hook started to step towards her. “Where is your father now?”

“What do you mean?” Belle asked in a careful tone of voice. “What exactly are you asking me?”

“Well, it’s only because it’s obvious you weren't cursed OR sent away. I am wondering what happened. Wondering what that monster did in retaliation.”

“He DIDN'T kill him!” Belle protested, blinking so hard because she was fighting her tears. “He didn't lay so much as a finger on my father.”

Now that, Hook found hard to believe. The crocodile had a temper, was known for violent displays when things didn't go his way. Hook couldn't imagine Rumplestiltskin leaving Belle’s father alone. Not when the man had almost cost Belle her memories and sense of self.

“I really am sorry.” Smee was saying.

“Why?” Belle asked, then shook her head. “it doesn't matter your reasons. All the regrets that you can feel, all the apologies that you can say, won't bring back my father....my relationship with him!”

“Belle?” 

But she was already moving, barreling past Smee, to run towards the invisible ship. She had to slow down some, to find the hidden steps, and make her shaky way up into the ship, but soon enough Belle had disappeared from sight too. 

 

“Captain, I am SORRY.” Smee repeated. “I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was trying to help her. Everyone agrees. Everyone knows that that monster is no good for her.”

“No he’s not.” agreed Hook, still staring after Belle. His hand was out, arm extended in her direction, though he had never gotten to actually touch her. She had moved to quickly, too suddenly, but not fast enough for Hook to have not seen the tears slipping down her face. “You should have told me, Smee.”

“But I...”

“I'm not angry with what you tried to do before I got here.” He paused. “Well not as angry as I could be.” He admitted gruffly. “But I don't like your secret keeping, especially when it hurts Belle.”

“Captain?”

“This is NOT how I would have introduced you to one another.” Hook stated. “At the very least you should have given me the advance knowledge to prepare her and let her know just who you really are.”

“And that is?” Smee asked. “Just what am I, captain?”

“Right now?” Hook asked, and the older pirate nodded. “Right now you're nothing more than my errand boy.”

“I suppose it’s a start.” sighed Smee, as he put his cap back on top of his head. “But Captain, how long before you get the crew together?”

“Hmm?”

“I'm not the only one feeling lost. There’s quite a few of us in town, that would love the chance to stir up some trouble. And with you leading us, there wouldn't be a ship safe in these waters!”

“I'll keep that in mind should I ever decide to risk the curse.” Hook told him, watching the frown take over Smee’s chubby face. “But until then, I think I am retired from my days of plundering ships...”

“I don't understand....”

“No, I suppose you wouldn't.” Hook agreed. He had finally lowered his arm to his side. “But I'm not like you Smee. I'm not lost any more...”

“Not lost any more?” Smee sounded like he was working his brain over time to understand. “Because you've finally managed your revenge? Or because....because of that woman, Miss Belle?”

“Yes.” But Hook didn't make clear just what he saying yes to. He didn't feel he owed Smee that complete an explanation, and Hook was still too new to the feelings Belle was stirring inside him. He couldn't even smile, finally blinking and looking Smee’s way. “Did you get the stuff?”

“Oh yes!” Smee seemed happy to be able to confirm that he had done something right. “It’s in my car. I would have already brought it on board, but I wasn't sure where exactly the Roger was.”

“Well, you know now.” Hook said, bending to pick up the bags he had set aside. “Bring it and then be gone with you.”

“Captain?” Smee appeared crestfallen. “I was thinking I could stay.”

“You thought wrong.” Hook’s voice and expression was cold. “I'm wanting my privacy, and I doubt Belle would want to see you any time soon....” 

“But how can I smooth things over with her if I stay gone?” Smee asked.

“That’s one thing you might not be able to do, regardless if you stay or go. Don't worry Smee, you're still my errand boy. That means I will be in touch.” The older man didn't look happy, his eyes stormy, his lips pressed together with his displeasure. But Smee slowly nodded his head in acceptance, his shoulders sagging somewhat as Hook walked on by.

The pirate then made his way up to the ship. He felt the ripple of magic hit him about mid waist, a slight breeze stirring through his hair, the bags rustling from the force of it, as the ship came into view. He couldn't help smiling to see the familiar sight of his beloved Jolly Roger, of the soft gold's and rich browns of the enchanted wood’s colors, and Hook’s flag of choice flapping about in the wind. But what he didn't see was what made him frown instead, Hook wondering just where in the ship Belle might have gone. He thought to try the galley first, the fact not lost on him that the beauty had taken to baking when at her most depressed. In the past three days, the ship has been filled with all manner of delicious smells, Belle creating one mouth watering treat after another, to the point she had actually made a dent into the ship’s stock.

It hadn't yet reached the point where the two would go hungry any time soon, and yet Hook had paid Smee to bring to the ship some more food. That wasn't the only thing Smee had been ordered to buy, a sundry of supplies from this world, some cloths and fabrics, and various odds and ends of which Hook hoped to somehow appeal to Belle. It bothered him to see her moping, to see her wallowing so strongly in her depression. He wanted the tears to stop, he wanted her mind distracted from her pain, and most of all, Hook wanted her to learn how to be happy again.

She wasn't in the galley, though the ship’s kitchen showed signs of her earlier presence in the banana bread and cakes that lay out on the counters. Belle really had quite the sweet tooth for a woman as slim of figure as she. Or maybe the decorating the cakes just took her mind off her troubles for a little while. He just didn't know, Hook having spent more time trying to seduce and tease her than question Belle about her odd habits.

Still carrying the bags, of which the radio and clothing were inside, Hook began wandering slowly through his ship. Most of the rooms were dusty and abandoned, Hook not having the time or inclination to keep the whole ship clean and in tip top shape. It was simply too much work for a man with only one hand, and Hook hadn't minded the dust too much. Now it embarrassed him, and he made a mental note to order Smee to clean the ship from top to bottom next time around. Hook would make sure to take Belle somewhere, certain the woman wouldn't appreciate Smee and the painful reminder he so clearly was to her. Hook didn't know exactly what had happened, but he could guess as much from what little Belle had said. Something about how all of Smee’s regrets and his sorry, could not bring back her relationship with her father. Hook took that to mean Belle and the man were on the outs, the father turning his back on her, or the woman cutting him out of her life in return for what he had tried to have Smee do to her. Hook found himself wondering if he could somehow help, and then almost laughed out loud in a sardonic fashion at the idea. 

“What has she done to me?” Hook muttered under his breath. He was no healer of rifts, no uniters of families. He was the one tearing them apart, the kind of bad man that fathers would and had disowned their daughters for associating with. Belle’s father would most likely be no different, a pirate not much better than a monster to most people’s eyes.

Then again, the man might be grateful. To the point he'd feel indebted to Hook, Belle’s father ever so grateful that his beloved and only daughter was free of Rumplestiltskin and his twisted influence. That kind of thought remained in the back of his mind, Hook heading towards the luxury that was the captain’s cabin. He hadn't expected Belle to go to his—THEIR bedroom, and indeed it would have been the last place he would have check. But he had heard a sound from that direction, a kind of muffled thump and muted sob.

The door was still damaged, Hook thinking it just another thing to task Smee with. Not that he spent much time thinking on Smee once Belle was in Hook’s line of sight. She wasn't crying, not exactly, though her chest heaved, and her breaths came out on a shuddery sound. Occasionally Belle would use the back of her hand, to rub at her eyes, but other than that, the woman busied herself with the clothing she had unpacked from one of the three bags she had been carrying.

“Belle...” Hook set down the bags he had brought with him, but she didn't so much as look his way. She was too busy trying not to cry, trying to decide where she should stick the clothing she had just folded. Hook stalked towards her, and even at the sound of his footsteps approaching, she didn't look up. She wouldn't until after he had wrapped his arms around her, the beauty actually jumping with a startled fright to find herself in the pirate’s embrace.

Her hands dropped hold of the clothing, her delicate fingers touching on Hook’s arms. But she didn't struggle too badly, didn't outright try to pull away. Hook crooned softly to her, rubbing his cheek against her hair, and for once he wasn't trying to be sexual but comforting instead.

“It’s okay, love.” He told her. “It’s okay to let go and cry. It won't make you any bit weak for giving in to such feelings.”

Her breath hitched in her throat, but Belle still did not actually start crying. He wouldn't let go of her, wouldn't stop trying to will comfort to her, whispering softly in her ear. “It might help to talk about it at least....”

“Why?” She asked. “It won't repair what was lost.”

“It might not.” He agreed. “But your father is still alive, is he not?” A slow nod yes from her, Belle’s fingers tightening on his sleeves. “Then there’s still a chance...”

“A chance to do what?” She let out a sound, and it was this much closer to an out right sob. “My father DISOWNED me for my love.” The woman shifted enough in his embrace, so that she could glance over her shoulder at Hook. “Because I wouldn't give up on or leave Rumplestiltskin. He made me CHOOSE between them....”

Belle had been trembling, and now she outright shook, her pain and her sadness, her frustration, and even her anger manifesting in the quivering motion of her body.

“I can't say I blame him for that...” Hook admitted, hearing her choke on a sob. “What man in his right mind would WANT his daughter with that monster.” She had already turned her face away, so now Hook shifted his grip on her, to make Belle turn towards him. “But Belle, love...” He kept one arm around her, his other lifting so that he could brush his fingers over her wet cheek in a caress. “I don't agree with HIS choice. Or the pain that he’s caused you...”

She was staring at him, and even her lips were trembling with her pain. Hook wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to caress her mouth with his lips and his tongue, to tease and torment her, and divert Belle from the pain that she was feeling. 

“But you have to realize the pain you've caused him.” Hook murmured, and his lips were dangerously close to hers. “It was a terrible choice he forced on you, but it doesn't mean his pain is any less for what resulted of it.”

“How would you know that?” He literally felt the movement of her lips, the warmth of her breath on his face. “You've never even met him, have you?”

“I may not know him, but I know you. And the effect you have on people.” His smile was strained, Hook needing every ounce of his flimsy will power to not actually kiss her. “I'd be hard pressed to find someone who DIDN'T want what’s best for you...”

“What’s best for me…” She repeated it in a dull tone of voice, as though the thought had never occurred to her. She suddenly jerked back, her violent motion almost freeing Belle from Hook’s embrace. “That’s not true!” She protested. “No one wanted to have anything to do with me so long as I was with Rumplestiltskin!”

“There was Ruby.” He reminded her, not letting her flee from him or this truth. “And there is the savior and her little family of heroes.”

“Ruby….”

“You have more friends than you want to realize...and could make even more, now that you're free of that monster.” She sniffled, and Hook pulled her closer. “You could make new friends, and make a go at making amends...”

“Amends….”

“I understand that you're scared.” continued Hook, his tone still soothing. “It’s always difficult to admit that you've been wrong, to take that first step to correcting things. But more than that...”

“More than that, it would be worse not to try.” Belle admitted, and she crumpled against him, the tears flowing more freely. Hook gathered her to him, cupped the back of her head with his hand, and staggered a few feet to the nearest available chair. He ended up seated with Belle on his lap, the woman burying her face against the crook of his shoulder. He kept right on petting her hair, Hook crooning soothing nonsense to her, as Belle shook and sobbed. He listened to her pain, to her sadness, wondering when, IF, she would have the courage to try and take that first step. Because it wasn't just admitting that she was wrong, that Belle would have to have a fear of. Not when making amends with the people who had shunned her, meant learning their stories, the crimes and misdeeds Rumplestiltskin had committed against them. Hook knew she'd need more than just courage, but the strength and the willingness to listen. Hook wasn't sure Belle was quite ready, the woman still so in love with the monster and hurting because of him.

It was quite a situation on his hands, but then Hook was used to picking up the pieces where women and Rumplestiltskin were concerned. He could even remember comforting Milah in a similar fashion, but with better results than he was currently having with the beauty on his lap. Beautiful Belle was so hurt, so distraught, and it wasn't all just because of Rumplestiltskin. Hook had played his fair share in handing out the hurt, using, even abusing Belle as a result of their bargain. He had manipulated things to his advantage, and the worst thing was, Hook knew he wouldn't have hesitated to do it again. It wasn't just his sought after revenge, but Belle herself, that was such a treat, the pirate staking so much on the life and purpose that she now gave him.

In a way, just as she had given him his life, Hook wanted to give Belle back HERS. He wanted her eyes open, wanted Belle to not only realize she was better off without Rumplestiltskin, but that she could still have a happy life. A wonderful life with HOOK. He wanted that more than he could have ever imagined wanting something that wasn't his revenge, Hook determined to make Belle his not just in body, but in soul too.

 

To be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you can tell, this chapter kinda got all rambly, did not want to end by the time I got to the last batch of paragraphs. Good Lord, did I kinda give up and just abruptly end the chapter where I did. I am having mixed feelings about this one. I had a lot of difficulties with the Smee scene...actually trashed several attempts, before I got one that I was sorta happy with. Right now...it’s like I don't love this chapter the way I like 23 and 24, but I don't hate it the way I loathe 22...so yeah, mixed feelings.
> 
> On the plus side….okay I fleshed out my notes some more! I was rereading the last five chapters again, and just getting inspired. But some of what I am inspired for, I am not sure how or when I will get the story to those parts. X_X (Quite a bit of it involves Cora and Regina related story stuff!)
> 
> I feel like this is such a weird chapter. Would love some feedback. Trying to show Hook is not in love with Belle (yet! XD) but he’s def having feelings. Maybe possessive obsessive feelings….I hope it’s not a mistake to have him like this, like I worry maybe it’s too soon...but the way I have been trying to write him, he did think of her as giving him a new life and purpose, so I can definitely see him getting obsessed and possessive of her. Maybe without actually realizing it.
> 
> As far why he didn't mention to her she would have to face the other people’s stories about Rumplestiltskin, in my head it’s cause he is still trying to adhere to the little truce thing they made at the end of 22. To manage one day without him bad mouthing Rumplestiltskin, making insinuations and saying hurtful things. He tried his best, though he did slip up by constantly calling him a monster...but he didn't do it as bad as he might have normally. So maybe some points for Hook there!
> 
> Okay, I should shut up now!
> 
> \---Michelle


	26. Twenty Six

His hook tore into the cardboard of the packaging, it’s sharp silver tip dragging deeper into the sealed box’s seam. With that hook digging into the side for an extra grip, the one handed pirate forced open the box. A strange midnight sky colored object lay revealed inside it, one single black stripe breaking up the blue that was otherwise dominating it. Thick pieces of some kind of white material was wrapped around each of it’s ends, some foreign thing that he could have mistaken for cardboard, if not for the odd feel of it and the way it had easily broke apart at the touch of his hook. There was also a clear colored wrap, though Hook wasn't familiar with plastic or Styrofoam to even know the names of these strange objects, let alone have had the opportunity to encounter them before today. 

Puzzled by these odd things, Hook barely spared a moment towards wondering how to work the little midnight blue radio. With careful, exaggerated movements, he freed it from the plastic and Styrofoam, untied and unwrapped the cord, wondering just what that part was for. He played with the buttons, but nothing much happened, aside from a dull muted clicking sound as a compartment popped open on top. Hook eyed the radio, but even it’s foreign oddness, wasn't enough to distract him for long. With a sigh he set it down on the table, and tried to busy himself with picking up the remains of it’s packaging. But he kept glancing at the door that led into the cabin’s private bath room, Hook listening to the soft sounds, and trying to figure out what Belle was doing right now.

It was clear she wasn't taking a shower. The sound of the water had stopped it’s roar seven minutes ago. Before that, the water had run for roughly thirty two minutes, Hook tortured by every splish splash of sound and a visual he hadn't had to imagine from scratch. The memory of four days ago was freshly ingrained in his mind, Hook never able to forget the sight of an unaware Belle standing naked in his shower. As lovely as ever, she had also radiated a keen vulnerability, Belle hugging her arms around her chest, the water pelting her face making it difficult to tell if she had been crying. Her shoulders had shook then, and Hook had been torn, his powerful lust fighting against his not wanting to be a completely unfeeling bastard to her pain. 

It was a similar situation this morning, Hook all but walking on egg shells, wanting Belle in the worst way possible. But he was being mindful of her pain, of Belle’s tortured state of mind. Just as he had been all night, and even a few of the hours before. This behavior of his was something completely new, and it just about killed him to maintain. The pirate had forced himself to spend the whole night behaving, of doing nothing more than laying besides Belle after she had cried herself to sleep. He hadn't been able to keep from pulling her close, from inhaling the scent of her hair, but what he had been able to do was downright astonishing, Hook behaving, not molesting and touching up on her. It still hadn't kept him from getting an erection, but just the woman’s nearness was enough to madden his blood, Hook having had to fight to not grind his pelvis against her.

It wouldn't have been the first time Belle would have made him cream in his pants. There was just something about her, about being near her, that made Hook feel young again. She both revitalized and reduced him to nothing, made his body and his libido that of a late teenager’s. It was almost embarrassing how out of control she made him feel, and at the first stirring of sunlight through the cabin’s three portholes, Hook had rushed out of bed. The bathroom door had already been closing, when Hook had heard Belle murmur his pirate’s name while still half asleep.

It had been too much, Hook having turned on the shower full blast. He had all but torn himself free of his pants, had leaned against the shower door, with a wash rag in his mouth. He had bit down on that cotton cloth, trying to stifle the worst of his grunts and his groans, Belle’s name a tormented mantra muffled by the fabric in his mouth. His hand had been nothing but violent, no art or teasing there, Hook making a tight fist, and bucking his hips back and forth with a purpose. With every forward thrust, he had pulled, gritting his teeth and groaning deep in his throat, thinking of Belle, and how much he had wanted to fuck her. He had tortured himself with the remembered feel of being buried in her body, with his lips wet with the proof of her arousal, Hook remembering how perfectly she had felt, and had fit in his hand.

His release had been just as violent as his hand, the fluid jettisoning forward, and splattering against the wall. It didn't linger, the shower’s rough spray quickly washing it down the drain. Hook had stood there panting, the shower door pressed against his back for support. He hadn't felt one ounce of better, Hook still hurting with the ache Belle had so easily set off inside him. The lust that he felt hadn't receded one bit, the edge taken off of his hunger all but amounting to nothing. He still wanted her, still desired Belle with every fiber of his being. It was driving him mad, SHE was driving him mad, and the pirate didn't know how much more that he could take.

He had finished his shower shortly after. But not even cold water could dampen his ardor, Belle a fever that was running through his very veins. With his very blood burning, Hook took care of his morning routine, got dressed, and then came out of the bathroom. He hadn't gone back to bed, instead busying himself with fetching a breakfast, a simple meal made up of the eggs and ham Smee had delivered the night before. 

By the time the meal was cooked and ready for eating, Hook had discovered Belle had gone into the bathroom. Shortly after, the shower had started, Hook had been unable to eat, unable to do much of anything, too busy listening carefully for any sounds that she might make. Did the pirate hope to hear a moan, to hear proof that she was as affected by this madness as he was? Heaven help them both if she had been, Hook pacing near the door, at one point putting his hand on the latch, warring with himself to not peek inside. The temptation had been strong, near undeniable, and that was when Hook remembered about the radio. He had busied himself with first looking at the box, and as the sounds of the shower’s water had died down, he had started to tear into the packaging. But never did he stop thinking for long about Belle, listening and lusting for her, and wondering when she would finally nerve herself to come out.

The eggs and strips of ham had grown cold by the time she did emerge back into the bedroom. Hook didn't give a damn about the cold breakfast, sure his expression had lighted up at the sight of her. Without even thinking, he had stood, and the intensity of his stare was such, that it had made Belle nervous. The woman had faltered in her step, an arm raising, her graceful fingers tucking slightly damp hair behind one perfectly curved ear. God help him, but Hook wanted to fall to his knees and crawl his way to her. He had just noticed what she was wearing, a navy blue sweater dress that was as snug as just about anything else he had seen on her. There was a lighter blue rimming the hem of her dress, making a faint pattern out of the contrasting shades, and Hook STILL wanted to crawl his way over, and run his hand up her thigh.

That got him wondering if she was wearing skin colored stockings, and then his train of thought derailed into what kind of panties she might have on. He hadn't gotten a good look at it in the store, Hook not having shadowed her that closely until after she had moved well away from the underwear department. Nor had he thought to go digging in the many bags of clothing he had purchased for her, and it was killing the pirate with the mystery of it all.

“Does it suit me?” Belle’s voice broke through the madness of his thoughts, Hook blinking slowly and repeatedly as he stared at her. She was nervous, and from the way the woman was fidgeting with her dress, Hook realized that Belle was feeling self conscious.

“You look lovely. That dress is amazing on you.” But the truth was Belle could have been in a brown paper sack, and Hook would have still thought her wonderful.

Her cheeks got the faintest dusting of color to them, her self conscious air growing worse not better. Hook didn't know how to soothe her, didn't know how to stop staring, and an awkward silence was building. Belle shifted uncertainly in place, and dared to look around the room. He couldn't do the same, unable to take his eyes off her, even as she took notice of the breakfast, and then the fact that he had unpacked the radio.

“Have you played it yet?” She asked him, and Hook told her no. 

“Couldn't quite figure out how to work it...” He admitted to her. “Those little buttons and switches do nothing. And I can't figure out what this cord is for.”

“Cord? Oh that. That’s for if the ship was wired for electricity. You don't have to worry about it. It'll run on batteries too...”

“Ah.” He hesitated. “I made breakfast…” She didn't ask or comment on the fact that it was now cold, Belle instead merely nodding her head in acknowledgement. He thought she wouldn't say much about it at all, and then she frowned.

“Is that….eggs?” Belle looked back at him, and there was a surprised look there that confused him.

“Aye.” Hook said, and then realized why Belle was so surprised. “I had Smee bring us some fresher food….” He explained, and she slowly nodded. 

“I see.” She glanced away, almost disinterested now. He took a step forward, and it was with a purposeful menace, Hook wanting Belle to keep looking his way with that lovely blue gaze of hers.

“It’s not all that I had him bring.” He told her, trying to spark her curiosity. “Would you like to come see?”

“Maybe later..” Belle purposefully chose a longer path to the table, one that would keep her far out of Hook’s reach. He felt his fingers clench with his frustration, the pirate making a fist out of his hand. The man knew he should let her be, and yet that was exactly what he couldn't make himself do. He approached the table, and sat down next to her, not failing to notice the way Belle stiffened at his nearness.

“About yesterday...” She had picked up a slice of ham, and was delicately nibbling on one end. Hook couldn't stop staring, wishing it was a part of him that was being nibbled on by the beauty. “I..I’m...” But he couldn't finish that sentence. Not when he wasn't sure what he was besides not being sorry. As much as he hadn't enjoyed her distress, Hook had reaped some enjoyment out of holding her. She hadn't tried to fight him, and there had existed for a time while Belle had been crying, a closeness between them that wasn't there now.

“What about yesterday?” Her tone was careful, downright guarded, Belle staring at the partially eaten slice of ham that she had been nibbling on.

“Just thought we should talk about it.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She insisted in that even level of tone. She was still gazing at the ham, but didn't fail to flinch when Hook reached out to tug on a strand of her wet hair’s curls.

“There’s plenty.” He said, the pirate enjoying the silken texture of Belle’s hair between his thumb and forefinger. He swept the curl back, it and the others being put behind her ear, so that Belle couldn't easily hide with her hair.

“I'm not ready.” Belle suddenly said. “I can't face my father, and I am not ready try and make new friends.”

“That’s fine.” He told her, and now his fingers caressed a touch on her face. “Your father and friends are not what I be wanting to talk about….” Belle closed her eyes. Was it his touch on her cheek she tried to block out, or was it what she thought he was about to say. “Belle, love...”

“Don't...”

“Don't want?” It was a soft, husky tone, but was no less demanding because of it. “Don't talk about how much I want you? Don't remind you of how I had admitted to just how strongly I desire and am attracted to you?” Her eyes were still shut tight, Hook continuing relentlessly as she began to tremble under his finger’s stroke. “Pet, these feelings consume me, drive me to the brink of madness. I...” But he stopped just short of admitting to how very nearly all of his waking thoughts were centered on her, and most of his dreams as well. It was too much like some love sick fool’s confession, and Hook was anything but in love with her.

She didn't open her eyes, didn't try to get him to finish the sentence. Instead Belle tried to play indifferent to what he had said, but her trembling spoke of a different truth. It affected her what Hook was saying, but not in a positive way. 

“Do you remember when I first brokered that deal with you?”

“How could I forget.” Belle finally opened her eyes. “You tricked me into more than I had been understanding.”

He didn't fight the smile. “I'm glad that I did.” Hook heard her sharp inhale, that admittance scandalizing her. “Is it really that surprising?” He couldn't help asking Belle with a chuckle. “When I had made it clear to you on just how well you had sold me on you?”

The color on her cheeks was now a darker red, Belle’s blush an angry manifestation of her inner turmoil. “You are an extraordinary woman, love. With many fine and admired qualities, both in and out of bed.” He had to bite down on his tongue in order to keep from admitting to too much, Hook fearing that every second spent with her, was only making him want her and desire her more and more. It was madness of the worst kind, an insanity he was all too ready to embrace, Belle driving him wild and she WASN'T even trying. He'd be completely at her mercy, her lap dog to call upon, should she ever seriously set out to tame him.

“There’s no point in you telling me all this.” Belle whispered. “Because your feelings don't---WON'T change my heart. Or who is inside it.”

He dropped his hand away from her cheek, Hook feeling the burn of his hatred for Rumplestiltskin surge forward with what Belle had just said. Rumplestiltskin being in her heart, didn't make Hook want Belle any less. If anything he saw it as a challenge, just another one in this maddening test of wills between them.

“They might not change things ever, but they might go a long way to making---helping you understand.”

“Understand what?!” Belle asked in a scoffing manner, as she started to rise up out of her seat. “That you are a manipulator and a pervert, an opportunist that preys on other men’s loves?!” His fingers had locked around her wrist, preventing Belle from fleeing.

“Aye, that’s right.” He said, and was tugging her forward even as Belle tried to pull away. “I'm all those things and MORE.” She had landed haphazardly on his lap, the curve of his hook fitting around her slim neck as he hauled her in for a kiss. It was pure heat and devastation, Hook discovering a new feeling towards the crocodile that Belle was responsible for. Jealousy. The pirate was sick with jealousy, hatefully envying Rumplestiltskin for still retaining his hold on Belle’s heart. 

Seeing green over it, Hook was almost desperate as he kissed her. She fought it, fought him, Belle making a high pitched whine of distress. Those soft little squeals affected him down to his cock, the throbbing twitches in sync with her cries. Belle was made aware of it too, his erection prodding against her bottom, the thin material of her dress not nearly enough to properly protect her from his desire. It would be easy, so easy, to pull up her skirt, to tear down her panties and the stockings she might possibly be wearing. Only the thought of how badly he would hurt her, kept him in check, Hook breathing hard against her lips.

Her expression looking wounded, Belle begged him between breaths to just stop. To stop and to let her go, and in the moment, Hook wasn't sure just what exactly Belle was asking. To let her go from his lap, or to free her from the deal that she had made? His fingers tightened on her wrist in response, he was a jealous, crazed, possessive Neanderthal that didn't want to imagine existing here without her. It actually scared Hook how much she was coming to mean to him, and in so short a time. He was all she had said and more, Hook needy, and greedy. It wasn't enough to just have her body, Hook was starting to want everything from her. Anything Belle had to give, and he'd take what she couldn't too.

Was there a shred of sanity left to him? Did he possess any bit of will power left to stop? Or were such things trivial to the state that he was now in? Hook was kissing her again, drowning out not only Belle’s frantic pleas, but any doubts that might have found voice in his head. The hand he was not holding, found purchase on his chest, Hook shuddering in ecstatic pain to feel her nails digging in harshly, cutting through the thin fabric of his shirt, to dig in deep to his skin. 

He locked eyes with her, the troubled blue reflecting the mad war raging on inside him. She actually whimpered in response at seeing it, her small body seeming to curl within itself, Hook suddenly turning her arm, twisting it behind her back. Her body arched with the movement, Belle’s pained expression not taking away from her fear. 

She was so damn beautiful, heart breaking in her distress. His heart which she had once accurately pinpointed as rotten, throbbed with an unfamiliar ache. Hook stared at her, actually licked his own lips, as he tried to think things through. He didn't have much of a plan, wasn't thinking past anything but getting her on the bed. Of pinning her down, and working his tongue, fingers, and mouth into seducing a definitive yes from her lips.

~Then what?~ A voice seemed to ask, the sound of it so faint, so buried under his own selfish wants and desires. ~She'd NEVER forgive you. You'd trade the chance for the world with her, for a selfish moment of gratification?!~

He froze in place, the voice that was his long thought exterminated conscience reaching through to him at last. He looked at Belle, and her distress registered in a new way, Hook realizing, understanding, accepting what he had been about to do. What his strong jealousy of Rumplestiltskin, what that and the envy and the hate had helped fuel.

If his conscience had been stronger, if his heart hadn’t been so damaged, a tear would have slipped down Hook’s face. Instead shock alone reeled through him, the pirate abruptly letting go of the distressed woman. She immediately scrambled free, even as he cried out an apology.

“I'm sorry!”

Belle’s hand violently slapped across his cheek, the woman breathing harder for her anger. Hook actually saw stars, reeling in place from the petite beauty’s blow. 

“I deserved that.” It earned him her scream, Belle telling him he deserved that and a whole lot more. He could only nod his head in agreement, bracing himself for a second blow. It came, and then she was running, fleeing to the other side of the room. He didn't try to stop her, not even when she scrambled past the broken door. The last sight he had of Belle, was of her tugging at her skirt that was still in slight disarray, trying to get the knit wool of the dress back into a semblance of order.

 

To Be Continued….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I debated on a lot of things cause of this chapter, including if I should wait on posting it. I mean it is only about eight hours (As of this writing) since I posted 25. But also….this chapter, the characters kinda derailed it a lot…..but it kinda works for me. But I worry about people getting upset….so I am kinda scared to post this. I already know what I want to do for 27, but I am feeling unsure...if I should keep 26 the way it is. I rather want to, but I worry ya’ll will be upset, because it’s like 25 was one step forward, and now Hook set them back at least two steps backward in chapter 26. I'm face palming here and so anxious!
> 
> I'm just feeling a lot of anxiety right now. I still have to spell check and proof read. It’s almost ten now, and I haven't been to sleep yet, cause I was up all night struggling with this chapter. By the way, I reread 25, and ended up liking it after all. So yay for that!
> 
> This chapter has been an excellent example on how I can never predict how the characters themselves will upset my own plans. Hook wasn't supposed to get so out right rapey...it’s changed some of the order of some of the stuff I had wanted to do. I would say I am scrambling to try and figure it out, but I already saw the path the story could take. Next chapter is definitely meant to be a Belle POV, and will probably contain a time skip, provided I can work it in smoothly. Hook has really messed up...and is going to have to really work for forgiveness. But it might not be forgiveness that drives Belle back, and that’s all I will say, cause I am spoiling too much here!  
> Off to spell check and proof read now! Laters!
> 
> \---Michelle


	27. Twenty Seven

The many wooden planks that made up so much of the ship’s floors seemed to reverberate with each of her steps, the sound of her heels bouncing up off them making a loud clash of sound that seemed to echo throughout the Jolly Roger. It was a terrible noise, deafening Belle to so much, including any sound of pursuit that the pirate might be giving. She ran all the harder, the faster, Belle convinced she was being chased, expecting at any moment to feel his hand close around hers, his hook catch at her shoulder or worse.

In the near distance, sunlight beckoned, Belle seeing the steps that would lead topside. She almost cried then, a sob actually shuddering through her but dying out on a choked breath. She couldn't, wouldn't let hope build, not even with the warmth of the morning’s sun spilling down onto her skin, Belle lurching haphazardly up the staircase. She ran even then, almost not caring of if she should slip and fall, and then she was bursting out of the shadowy darkness of the ship’s interior. The sunlight hit her full force then, Belle blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the changes in light. A gentle morning breeze blew threw her hair, rustled through her clothing, and Belle heard the strange hiccup of sound that came borne from deep within her chest.

Still convinced she was being chased, that she was being HUNTED, Belle took a quick step forward. There was almost no room for caution, Belle convinced Hook would jump out at her at any moment. Just like he had that first time, the time she had almost escaped with Baelfire’s scarf. She had never discovered just how Hook had managed that or the many secrets of the ship, the pathways and hidden corridors that the pirate claimed to know better than the back of his own hand. It was too apparent to Belle that Hook had the advantage here, that he would ALWAYS have the advantage, and with a hysterical sounding whimper, she ran across the deck. 

Her heart’s beat practically in her throat, Belle turned a corner, running down the planks that passed for stairs. She kept expecting a hand to come snatching at her, to feel the cold metal of his hook wrap around her slender neck. She didn't once stop with the realization that Hook was LETTING her go, Belle running down the steps, the Jolly Roger ship then disappearing from sight, and she ran all the harder, the faster to put distance between it and her. Every step forward she expected to hear her name screamed, to find herself caught and at the mercy of the pirate once more. Her eyes blurred with tears, Belle using the back of her hand to angrily brush at them, her vision itself distorted, and then she was actually crying, the sobs slowing her down.

She couldn't run and cry, not with the way her breath was battling against doing both. Belle sniffled and tried to take another step forward, and then she ended up half on the ground. One knee scraped against the concrete pavement, Belle catching herself before she could do worst. She really did start crying then, Belle slowly, carefully pushing herself up, determined to go forward even if she had to crawl.

Limping in awkward manner, her scraped up knee bleeding slightly, her flesh colored stockings were ruined. Just like her life had been, Belle shaking, crying, and it still hadn't occurred to her to wonder why there was no sounds of pursuit. She was simply too locked into her upset, too busy feeling the fool, Belle remembering how just yesterday she had insisted to her friend Ruby that the pirate wasn't out to actually hurt her. And then she wondered why, what could have possibly made Belle think for even one second that Hook wasn't a selfish, greedy, hurtful man, who wouldn't just take what he wanted. Who wouldn't hurt her if it meant satisfying his own lusts. Revenge, sexual gratification, and anything in between, it mattered not, he could and would put himself first over others. She was no different to him, no more special to Hook despite what Belle had represented. His revenge made real, the hurt she had helped him accomplish, Rumplestiltskin in pain, but then so was Belle too.

Her already fractured heart was breaking, the pieces laying heavy inside her chest. She felt the weight of all her sorrows, all her pains and regrets, Belle so sorry for having hurt Rumplestiltskin, for having put herself in a position to be manipulated into being such a tool. Resentment, anger, those were there too, faint slivers she hadn't the time to properly nurture before. They spiked with power now, with harsher feelings yet, Belle wondering what it was all for. Why had she valued herself so little, as to let herself be whored out for Rumplestiltskin’s happiness!? And then she was sobbing again, the feeling harder, the sound harsher, as Belle realized that it what she was. A whore. Rumplestiltskin’s or the pirate’s, it no longer mattered whose.

Maybe it never had. Maybe that was all she had ever been good for, all she had ever been meant for, Belle a pawn in a play for power that even her own father had not been immune to. Vaguely she remembered Gaston, remembered their engagement, and how the hunter had never been Belle’s choice to make. 

Her upset twisted, Belle no longer quite so hysterical with sadness. Now she felt the anger, the resentment, and it all spiraled out of control. From the first deal made, to the second, and to the third, each one proving worst than the last, Belle trading some form of freedom again and again. She was through with getting burned, through with those men hurting her, with Belle letting her own choices give them the power to hurt her. From her father to Rumplestiltskin, and especially to Hook, Belle was through with them all.

The anger gave way to a kind of resolute determination, the worst of Belle’s sobbing subsiding. She straightened as best she could, despite how her hurt knee was forcing her to limp. The beauty rubbed at her eyes, dashed away the last of her tears. She actually kept her head held high, and turned the corner that would lead onto main street, Belle determined to take back control of her own life. Her destiny, the woman heading forward, blowing past emotions, feeling almost numb inside. 

Certainly that numbness could be the only reason why she had felt nothing when passing by Rumplestiltskin’s pawn shop. Belle didn't cry, and her anger didn't spike, the woman almost indifferent to the sight of the store front that had been part of the home the beauty had once shared with Rumplestiltskin. She was through, with the groveling and the pleading, with trying to reach some sort of understanding where Rumplestiltskin would not only forgive but take her back. She was through with him, with the deal she had made for his sake. Rumplestiltskin and the pirate could kill one another for all Belle currently cared, her heart feeling broken beyond repair.

The one thing in all this, that might have given Belle pause, that might have given the beauty incentive to go back to the pirate’s ship? Emma, the blond savior and her family having been nothing but supportive and kind throughout all this. Belle felt the slightest of guilt to be letting them down, to be failing them in finding out what was needed to find and stop Cora before the insanely evil queen could find and reunite with her misguided daughter. For the Charmings, and those close to them, Belle did feel sorry, the woman not wanting to let them down, to fail them when they so desperately needed a break. 

But it wasn't enough to get her to stop, to go back to the pirate and his insatiable lusts. She announced as much to Ruby, walking not to Granny’s diner, but to the back of the building, where the entrance to the bed and breakfast lay. The door swung open before Belle could think to knock, Ruby bounding out with a concerned air to her, the woman starting to say something. She barely got the words out, something about having scented Belle’s approach from nearly half a block away, when Ruby fully registered the sight of Belle’s face.

“I'm DONE.” Belle announced, even as Ruby had just stared. She wondered what sort of expression was on her face, wondered how blotchy her skin might have become from her earlier distress. But mostly, Belle felt a great relief to speak the words out loud and have them be accepted, Ruby nodding and moving to help Belle limp inside the foyer of Granny’s quaint but homey bed and breakfast.

The bed and breakfast’s foyer was held separate from the other side of the building, where the diner lay. Belle couldn't even hear the muffle of the early morning crowd, the thick walls muting the sounds between the two establishments. Somewhere in the building, a door was heard to open and then close, Ruby glancing upwards with a frown.

“Not here.” The wolf advised, already guiding Belle down the hall towards a private door. She seemed concerned about eavesdroppers, but Belle couldn't give a damn about being overheard.

“I'm done.” She repeated, even as Ruby dragged her inside the wolf’s cozy little den. The apartment was full of flair, bright reds and rich browns making up the main theme of color. Fashion magazines spilled across a coffee table, a dark rose colored mug still steaming with tea set atop one of the pages. There were funky pieces of art on the wall, the one predominant shared theme between the paintings, that of the moon at it’s most bright and fullest. 

A dream catcher hung in one corner, with silver charms dangling down. Belle knew without getting near it, that amidst the red and black feathers, the charms were that of teeny tiny silver wolves. There was plenty of candles through out the apartment, more than a handful melted down to almost nothing. It was Ruby’s way with coping with sensory overload, the smells and smells of the modern world sometimes more than the wolf could handle, especially when it was growing closer to the night of the full moon.

The candles hadn't been lit any recently, a sign that the full moon was still a way off. Belle couldn't remember if it was two weeks or three, but then that detail hardly had mattered to her. But she knew her friend looked forward to it, the woman making it a monthly ritual to take to her wolf form, and run wild and free through the many parts of Storybrooke that were overgrown with the forest.

It hadn't always been like that. Belle knew there was a time when Ruby had feared the full moon, and her inability to control the transformation. People had once been hurt, Ruby herself included, King George himself using the townspeople fear to hunt and prey on Ruby for murders he himself had committed. It was during that chaotic time that Belle had first gotten to meet and know Ruby, and a friendship had been borne that neither one had ever regretted.

Ruby was already hurrying to fetch another mug of tea, Belle taking it and collapsing gratefully onto a leather couch. It wasn't just the tea that Ruby had brought with her, the woman bringing a bowl of clean water. She knelt down before Belle, carefully peeling back the torn bits of stocking, even as Belle tried to get her to stop.

“Don't want to get this infected now...” Ruby admonished her, expressing relief that there wasn't anything like gravel caught in the scraped skin.

“I will be fine.” Belle insisted. “A scraped knee is not the worst I have suffered from.” She instantly regretted her words, the way Ruby froze into an unnatural stillness.

“What do you mean exactly?” Ruby asked in a careful tone of voice. “What happened...why are you here?”

“It….” But Belle hesitated, hardly ready to tell Ruby what had really happened. Not when the truth would send the wolf bounding off, the woman ready to quite literally tear into the pirate for his hurt and mistreatment of her friend. Belle told herself she wasn't at all worried for Hook, but for Ruby, the beauty conscious of how werewolves were susceptible to silver weapons. Ruby might be able to overpower the pirate, but that hook of his was sharp and made deadly by silver. She just couldn't risk it, the thought of losing her dearest and best friend, something that got through to Belle’s numb heart.

“I'm going to kill him.” Ruby said at the first sign of Belle’s tears. The beauty grabbed hold of the woman’s wrist, stopping her from sprinting towards the door.

“Don't.” Belle begged with a shake of her head. “He’s not worth it. Besides I'm DONE with Hook. I'll never put myself in a position to be at his mercy again.”

“WHAT happened?!” Ruby repeated her earlier inquiry. 

Belle shook her head. “I just had a realization a minute too late….” She brushed at her eyes with her free hand. “Ruby, I can't do this...I just can't….I am SORRY.” She added. “I'm letting you all down. But I...I can't...”

Ruby was suddenly on the couch besides Belle, pulling her into a hug. “Shh...shhhh...” Ruby consoled, herr hand petting over Belle’s hair. “You're not letting anyone down by getting away from that pervert….”

“But Emma...Snow...their whole family...”

“Will be fine.” Ruby assured in a firm tone. “They have foiled and defeated Regina more times than I can count. they'll do it again.”

“Yes, they defeated the evil queen….but that was when she was on her own...when she didn't have Cora to help her.” Belle pointed out. “How much worse will it be with the two of those witches?!”

Ruby shifted them out of the hug slightly, so she could gaze searchingly into Belle’s eyes. “You're not trying to find a reason to go back to Hook, are you?” She was touching Belle’s face, smoothing back her hair, so that the brown colored curls were tucked behind the beauty’s ears.

“No...of course not!” Belle protested. “I just don't like letting you down, especially where there was something I might have been able to do...”

“There is plenty you can still do!” Ruby told her. “You're great at research, remember? Why I bet it wouldn't be hard for you to find something in one of your books that could help us! Even a weakness that Cora might have.” She flashed an encouraging smile at Belle. “It’s worth a shot.”

Belle closed her eyes briefly, then gave a slight nod of her head. 

“Great!” Ruby exclaimed. “What say we start this morning? I can talk to Granny, take some time off from my shift.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. But are you sure Granny will be okay with you taking off so much time from work?” Belle asked, thinking of how many shifts Ruby had been missing of late.

“She'll be fine!” Ruby said in an uncaring tone. “Sure, Granny will grumble and grouse about it, but in this case, her bark is literally worst than her bite!”

Belle wasn't entirely sure that was to be true, knowing that Granny wielded a mean aim with a crossbow. She was even more deadly here in Storybrooke, now that the woman had been to the gun range, and learned how to handle herself with a shot gun.

“If you say so...” Belle murmured it more to herself than her friend, then went to the apartment’s bathroom. Her stockings were too shredded about the knees to continue wearing, and the beauty was certain Ruby wouldn't be against her borrowing a fresh pair. She changed into a light purple color that suited the dress that Belle was wearing, then wondered what she was going to do about clothes. She wasn't about to go back to Hook’s ship, even if she had been wanting to wear anything bought with the pirate’s money.

Money, just the thought of it made her sigh, Belle splashing water on her face, as she wondered what she would do now. She really had made herself too dependant on other people, on men in particular. That needed to change, she thought, though Belle wasn't sure how or where to start. 

Ruby managed to charm Granny into giving her more than just the mid morning shift off. There was a bounce in the wolf’s step. the woman thrilled to have the whole day off for once. Belle wasn't anywhere as enthused as Ruby was behaving, the woman subdued and meek as they walked side by side to the part of main street, where the town’s library was located. 

“At least Rumple didn't padlock the place...” Belle muttered. “But I suppose….there’s always a chance of that when he comes back.”

“He better not even try!” Ruby growled. “That imp gave this building to you and that is fact!” She started to pull open one of the door, when the wolf’s nostrils flared. “Hold on.” She said sharply, as Belle was in the midst of opening the companion door. “Someone has been in here…. She growled, and suddenly flung open the doors.

Her friend was all tense and poised for a fight as she rushed into the building. Belle didn't understand how Ruby could expect her to just wait outside, so the beauty ran in a few steps behind the wolf. The library itself was dark, the curtains over the windows doing much to keep the sunlight out. Belle felt along the wall by the doors, and found the panel with the light switch. The lights then flooded the entire building, Belle gasping in dismay to see the mess there.

“What in the world…?” She breathed, looking at how ALL the books were off their shelves, every last one of them. Instead they were on the floor, all haphazardly splayed, even trampled on, as though someone or something had been looking for something in particular.

“I'm calling the sheriff.” Ruby announced, her nostrils still flaring. “There’s the stench of dark magic all over this place.”

Belle barely heard her, stepping forward towards the mess. Her numb heart felt enough to still hurt, Belle thinking how disappointed the townspeople would be, to learn that because of this set back, the library’s grand opening would once again be delayed indefinitely. 

She would need help, more than she could afford at the moment, Belle thought. This was too much work for one woman, and yet Belle did not have access to the money that would be needed to pay the salary of anyone she could hire to help. Last time it had taken her over a month to get the place as organized as it had been, Belle working tirelessly night and day, and she wanted to scream in frustration at the impossible state her beloved library now was existing in.

“David is on his way.” Ruby said, just as Belle knelt before a pile of torn books. “He said to try not to touch anything...just in case….”

“Just in case what?” Belle asked, glancing up at Ruby. “What could possibly be worse?”

“Place might be booby trapped with magic.” Ruby told her. “I'm going to see if Blue herself can come over, or at least send one of the other fairies over to do a quick scan over this place...”

“All right.” Belle sighed, though she positively itched with the need to start setting the books back to their rights. “It’s impossible, isn't it…?” She asked Ruby, who made a confused sound. “Never mind getting the library ready….we're never going to get any research done now...”

“Well...probably not.” agreed Ruby with her own sigh. “But! There is one positive way to look at it.”

“And that is?”

“This could very well mean there is a way to defeat Cora, and that one of these books has the answer to it.” Ruby smile was almost a smirk then, with a hint of fanged tooth flashing.

“What makes you think she didn't run off with that book in particular?” asked Belle.

“I...I don't...it’s true enough that she may have taken it with her...but I am trying to be positive here, Belle!”

“Sorry.” The beauty whispered it, then looked down at the floor, at the books laying within reach. She sighed and forced herself to stand up, to pace away from the mess that was calling to her to clean. Ruby would then suggest that they should wait outside until after the fairies could come and run the place over with their spells.

“You going to be okay with this, with telling David and Snow?” Ruby asked her as they waited. The wolf had gone and fetched hot drinks from Granny, and the sheriff had yet to arrive. 

“I guess so...” Belle muttered. “I mean...it’s not like they wanted me to put myself near to that pirate….”

“None of us did.” Ruby was quick to assure her. “We'll find a way to stop Cora without that perverted pirate!”

“Don't know how though...” Belle pointed out. “Especially now, with the library in shambles...”

“No pessimistic thinking please!” Ruby said, then took a long sip from her drink cup. “We need positive thoughts or else we will be defeated before we even start!”

“You're right...” But she couldn't manage to be very positive. “What is taking David so long?”

“I have no idea...” Ruby frowned. “But even accounting for traffic, David should be here by now...”

“I hope nothing has happened….” Belle fretted. 

“In this town? That is kind of like asking the rain not to fall….!” Ruby was juggling her drink cup and her cell phone, trying to dial a number without spilling her coffee. “Damn...thanks...” She said, when Belle took the cup from her. This time she got the number dialed, and it took several long rings before the call was answered.

“Where are you?” Ruby demanded without actually greeted the person she had called. “Wait….what?!”

“What is it?” Belle whispered, having seen the way Ruby’s eyes had widened. 

“We will be right there!” Ruby ended the call, and snapped her phone close. She took hold of her drink cup, and finished it off, before answering the question in Belle’s eyes. “The library is not the only place that has been hit.” She said with a snarl. “The protection spell around Gold’s has all but been obliterated.”

“What?!” Belle and Ruby both winced at how loud the beauty had been just then. “How is that even possible? No one should be stronger than the Dark One and his magic!”

“Well someone found a way, and by the way the fairies are buzzing about it, David says the energy signatures match that of Cora AND Regina’s magic working TOGETHER.”

Belle closed her eyes at that. “So that’s it then.” She murmured with a kind of finality to her words. “They've joined forces. We've lost...”

“What have I said about not having a defeatist attitude and the like?” Ruby asked. “It’s not over until it’s actually over, and there’s no way you, I or David are going to let it end as anything but a victory for the good guys! Now come on! They're waiting for us at the shop!”

It wasn't too far from the library to Gold’s shop, and the time to travel was cut in half by the fact Ruby had her own car. It screeched to a halt just across from the pawn shop, and there was quite a crowd already gathered, though David was doing their best to keep the curious onlookers at bay.

“it’s not SAFE.” David was saying. “There’s dark magic...”

“There’s always dark magic when the Dark One is involved!” A man in the crowd shouted.

“Is it true the protection spell was broken?” An older looking woman was asking. She twisted her hands together with her fear. “We're lucky it didn't take out the whole block!” The crowd all murmured fearful at that, David frowning at them. 

“Don't go riling things up with conclusions. It was only this building that was hit.” He said. “It didn't even affect the two buildings on either side of Gold’s shop.”

“We were lucky!” Someone cried, and the crowd echoed that sentiment with shouts of their own.

“Won't be so lucky when the Dark one finds out someone broke into his place...”

“Gold being upset about this, is the last thing I am worried about.” snarled David. The crowd kind of gasped at that, and looked at the sheriff like he was out of his mind. It actually got them to pause, as though none of them could think of what to say, but David’s reprieve didn’t last nearly long enough for Belle’s liking.

“Come on.” Ruby suggested to Belle, and began pushing her way through the crowd. The people didn't want to move, but Ruby had the strength of her wolf to force a path for her and Belle to travel. David spied their approach and nodded, the man now on his phone, talking to someone. Belle wondered if that someone was his wife, if Snow White was being appraised of the situation.

“The dwarves are on their way.” He announced to the approaching women. “They'll help keep this crowd at bay.” But it was clear until the dwarves arrived that David would be stuck outside dealing with this problem on his own. “The fairies say you can go in, so long as you don't touch anything, and don't go past the shop area unescorted. They're still doing a sweep with their magic of the rest of the building, but they are having difficulty getting a good read on things, what with all the different magic let loose in there from the Dark One’s collection.”

“They were looking for something, weren't they?” Belle asked, and David nodded.

“Though what that something was, we can't possibly guess just yet.” He made eye contact with Ruby. “Any chance you can track them using something from the shop?”

Ruby scrunched up her nose. “No….they knew what they were doing….there’s so many conflicting scents, and not just of magic...it’s playing havoc with my sense of smell.”

“Damn. I was hoping...” His phone went off, David glancing at it, and taking the call. “Mary Marguerite, what is it?”

Ruby and Belle hesitated, prepared for Snow White to reveal that yet another calamity had befallen, but David gestured impatiently at the two women to go on ahead. Belle took that to mean nothing else had gone wrong, though she couldn't feel better about it. Not once she saw the inside of the shop, the place in ruins, the glass display cases all shattered, everything he had every collected on the floor, in some cases broken, a marionette’s limbs twisted at unnatural angles, it’s strings all tangled together. 

“This is going to take forever to clean up….”

“It’s HIS problem now.” Ruby said, and began coughing up a storm. 

“Ruby?” Belle looked at her in concern.

“Sorry.” said the wolf in between harsh fits of coughing. “It’s the stench of dark magic in here. It’s a LOT worse than it was at the library.”

“Maybe you should wait outside...” Belle suggested, but Ruby shrugged off the suggestion.

“I will be fine.” She insisted, fumbling in her pocket for a handkerchief. She found one, and shoved it over her nose, some of the coughing lessening in strength, as Ruby inhaled the perfume she kept spray on the cloth for just this kind of emergency.

The sound of Ruby’s coughing, drew a fairy to them. “The Mother Superior will be glad to see you!” She addressed Belle.

“Me?” Belle exclaimed in surprise as the woman nodded.

“Yes, you've spent more time with the Dark One than anyone else. You might be the only one who stands a chance of identifying what if anything was stolen!”

“Er...” Belle looked away, to swing out her hands in an all encompassing gesture. “With this mess? How can I even hope to begin to tell what was here and what wasn't?”

The fairy looked crestfallen, but still insisted on going to find the mother superior. Blue would enter into the store from the back, and gesture Belle closer. There wasn't much room to maneuver, Belle cringing when her heels crunch loudly on some glass. The Blue Fairy, or Mother Superior as she was now known in this modern world, didn't seem bothered by Belle walking across what David would have deemed as evidence.

“Belle, thank you for coming...” Blue took hold of Belle’s arm. There was more crunching sounds, Ruby following close behind Belle to reach the fairy.

“Do you think they took anything?” Ruby asked Blue, her voice muffled under the handkerchief. “I mean, from the stench of this place, it smells like they spilled every potion and unleashed just about every spell Gold had...”

“All signs point to them wasting it all….”The Blue Fairy agreed. “But the waste is not what I am concerned with, but what they could have taken….” She led Belle and Ruby into a corridor that was connected to the house part of the building. Belle let out a gasp of dismay, to see the home she had once shared with Rumple as destroyed looking as the store and the library had been.

“There’s no doubt in my mind.” Blue said once she had given Belle a moment to recover. “They came here with one goal in particular...”

“The Dark One's dagger...” Belle muttered, sure her skin had leeched of all it’s color. “They want to control Rumple!”

Even Ruby went pale at that. “Those two are ENOUGH trouble without adding someone of the Dark One’s power to the mix!”

The Blue Fairy’s expression was the utmost in serious, her eyes solemn as she took hold of Belle’s hands. “Please.” She said. “If anyone would know WHERE he keeps his dagger, it would be you….”

“He never told me!” She protested. “He…” Belle’s tone turned bitter then with her realization. “He never trusted me enough for THAT.”

“Damn...” swore Ruby, but Blue was unfazed.

“I want you to think about it.” She urged Belle. “He might have given you a clue, without you even realizing it….”

“I just...just don't know...I don't believe that he has...” Belle was shaking her head no repeatedly. 

“Well then, one thing is for sure…” Ruby sighed. “If Cora and Regina are out to make a slave out of the Dark one, then he CAN'T come back to Storybrooke. Not until this whole mess is resolved….”

“That would be best.” The Blue Fairy agreed. She was still gazing at Belle, as though she could magically will the beauty to remember something she had never known in the first place. Belle just kept shaking her head no, feeling sorry and absolutely useless once again. The woman felt the frustration well within her, Belle wondering when and if there would ever come a time when there would be something that she could do that would actually help. 

 

To Be Continued….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh...didn't get to work in my time skip. But will try for next chapter! It’s gonna be more like….a mix of time skip and covering various things that happen during it. Probably butchering the explanation of it, but hopefully I won't mess up on the actual execution of what I hoped to show with those details..
> 
> Can't think of much to ramble on about. Was almost done with this chapter when I realized I made a big goof. I forgot Emma had gone with Gold, so actually had her and David mentioned together in the scenes! Yikes! Luckily I remembered and fixed it before I actually published the chapter. But still such a big oopsie. Worry at least one of the paragraphs read choppy, cause I had to remove a part about Emma cause of it. The part where the crowd looked at David like he was out of his mind. In the original Emma version, Belle then thought to herself something about Emma was new to magic, and didn't know enough about the Dark One to think otherwise. Something like that.
> 
> Kinda disappointed I couldn't work in more Hook stuff for this chapter. I think if I tried to work him and the time skip in, it would have hit like 10,000 words easily. X_X Good Lord. Am not too happy with this chapter, it was like a necessary one to get out, but it was tough to get started. It had it’s moments, but overall….liked other chapters a lot more. Am glad to get past it! Hoping the next chapter will be easier and more of a pleasure to write.
> 
> One good thing about the protection spell being busted….Belle can get her clothes out of Rumple’s home! XD
> 
> Laters!
> 
> \---Michelle


End file.
